NWSS Data Dictionary includes: valid values, required fields, data elements/descriptions, recent changes, etc. For most recent version of the data dictionary visit: 
https://www.cdc.gov/nwss/reporting.html#data-dictionary

NWSS Data Dictionary

CDPH-Wastewater Surveillance Data, California

Should DCIPHER data analysis ignore this sample? If the value is "yes", then this sample will be excluded from DCIPHER data analysis, which will also cause it to be excluded from the dashboard. If the value is "no" or [empty], then this sample will be included in DCIPHER data analysis.

Wastewater treatment plant design capacity. This should be the capacity for which the plant is permitted. If 'upstream location', use the design capacity for the wastewater treatment plant to which the water flows.

Temperature at which the sample was stored after collection and prior to reaching the lab

Duration of time from sample collection start time to time sample reached the lab. 

Frequency of sub-sample collection (for composite samples only): for flow-weighted, the number of sub-samples collected per million gallons of flow; for time-weighted, the number of sub-samples per hour. Flow-weighted example: a value of 5 would indicate 5 sub-samples per million gallons, or 1 sub-sample per 200,000 gallons

Method used to concentrate the sample prior to analysis of the concentrate

Specific conductivity of wastewater sample (if sludge, conductivity of influent at time of collection)

5-digit numeric FIPS codes of all counties and county equivalents served by this sampling site (i.e., served by this wastewater treatment plant or, if 'sample_location' is "upstream", then by this upstream location). Note that most jurisdictions are covered by counties, but some are covered by county equivalents, such as independent cities, parishes, or census areas.

The county name for the address where the wastewater treatment plant is physically located 

Should the DCIPHER dashboard ignore this sample? If the value is "yes", then this sample will be excluded from the dashboard. If the value is "no" or [empty], then this sample will be included in the dashboard. 
In addition to excluding the sample from the DCIPHER dashboard, this field will also prevent the sample from public data release.

The name of the program or organization providing this data (contibuting to the Cal-SuWers Network), included to provide credit for monitoring of this site.

EPA registry ID for the wastewater treatment plant specified in 'wwtp_name'. If 'upstream location' use the registry ID number for the wastewater treatment plant in which the water flows. If the water does not flow to a treatment plant, enter -1. 

NPDES permit number for the wastewater treatment plant specified in 'wwtp_name'. If 'upstream location' use the NPDES permit number for the wastewater treatment plant in which the water flows. If facility does not have an NPDES permit number, enter -1. 

Equivalent unconcentrated volume of wastewater or mass of sludge in PCR reaction

Are extraction blanks included in the extraction process?

Method used for nucleic acid extraction from the sample

The full name of the wastewater treatment plant 

Wastewater volumetric flow rate at the sample collection location over the 24-hr period during which the sample was collected. If only an instantaneous flow measurement is available, it may be reported in units of million gallons per day. 

Concentration of chemical target specified in 'hum_frac_target_chem'

Concentration units of chemical target  specified in 'hum_frac_target_chem'

Concentration of microbial target specified in 'hum_frac_target_mic'; follow the same guidelines outlined for 'pcr_target_avg_conc'

Concentration units of microbial target specified in 'hum_frac_target_mic'

Name of chemical compound used to estimate human fecal content

A publication, website, or brief description of the chemical compound specified in 'hum_frac_target_chem'

Name of microbial target used to estimate human fecal content

A publication, website, or brief description of the microbial target specified in 'hum_frac_target_mic'

Approximate average percentage of wastewater from industrial sources that is received by the wastewater treatment plant specified in 'wwtp_name'

Is influent to the wastewater treatment plant specified in 'wwtp_name' ever stored prior to treatment to equilibrate or modulate the influent flow rate?

Was inhibition incorporated into the PCR target concentration calculation?

A publication, website, or brief description of the method used to evaluate molecular inhibition

If this sample represents wastewater from a single institution, facility, or building, specify the institution type; otherwise, specify "not institution specific"

An ID assigned to a testing lab. It must be unique across labs used for this NWSS reporting jurisdiction's testing. If the same lab is used across multiple NWSS reporting jurisdictions, each NWSS reporting jurisdiction may assign that lab a different lab ID. Note: including PII in this field is discouraged.

A unique, more verbose name given to each sampling location which specifices the "[County] (City/Neighborhood)" 

A publication, website, or brief description of the method used to calculate the limit of detection

PCR target limit of detection back-calculated to unconcentrated sample basis

A number used to distinguish major lab methods at the reporting jurisdiction level. Differences in lab methods may limit the comparability of PCR target concentrations. Reporting jurisdictions should use this field to indicate that lab methods are sufficiently different that caution should be used when comparing PCR target concentrations across them. These differences may result from any lab processing or quantification steps, including different PCR gene targets. Note that 'major_lab_method' may be the same for different laboratories if the reporting jurisdiction believes concentrations measured by those laboratories are comparable; conversely, 'major_lab_method' may be different for the same laboratory if changes made to the laboratory protocol rendered concentrations not comparable.

Brief description of the basis for assigning a ‘major_lab_method’, e.g., "this lab uses a lab method distinct from other labs in this reporting jurisdiction", "this lab changed lab methods - new concentration method" or "lab method is same as other labs in this reporting jurisdiction but performance differs"

For qPCR, did any no-template controls on this instrument run have a Ct value less than 40? For ddPCR, did any no-template controls on this instrument run have 3 or more positive droplets?

Number of no-template controls (NTC) per instrument run

Concentration of target spcified in 'other_norm_name'

Name of a target or compound not specified in 'hum_frac_target_mic' or 'hum_frac_target_chem' used to estimate human fecal content

A publication, website, or brief description of the target or compound specified in 'other_norm_name'

Concentration units of target spcified in 'other_norm_name'

A publication, website, or brief description of the PCR gene target used

Concentration of the PCR target back-calculated to unconcentrated sample basis; enter "0" if no amplification occurred, using the definition of amplification described in 'ntc_amplify'; otherwise, enter the estimated concentration; do not adjust for matrix recovery efficiency. 
Only the technical or biological replicate concentrations for the same pcr_gene_target should be averaged. For example, if there are three replicates of a given PCR target, average those concentrations and report the average value only. Do not include the three individual concentrations. Different pcr_gene_target concentrations should not be averaged for this field (e.g., do not average concentrations for N1 and N2). 

Was the concentration of the PCR target below the limit of detection?

Lower bound of 95% confidence interval of the PCR target in wastewater sample, or best estimate that is consistently available. Follow the same hierarchy as described for standard error. (Note: 'cl' stands for confidence limit)

Upper bound of 95% confidence interval of the PCR target in wastewater sample, or best estimate that is consistently available. Follow the same hierarchy as described for standard error. (Note: 'cl' stands for confidence limit)

Standard error (SE) of the PCR target in wastewater sample, or best estimate that is consistently available. If sample replicates are always performed, use SE of sample replicates; else, if processing replicates are always performed, use SE of processing replicates; else, if qPCR is performed, use SE of PCR replicates; else, if digital PCR is performed, use error from multiple replicates if available, and Poisson error if not

The type of PCR used to quantify the PCR target

pH of wastewater sample (if sludge, pH of influent at time of collection)

Estimated number of persons served by this sampling site (i.e., served by this wastewater treatment plant or, if 'sample_location' is "upstream", then by this upstream location)

The storage temperature of samples after reaching the lab and prior to concentration (if concentrated)

The approximate average duration of time between when samples reach the lab and when they are concentrated (if concentrated)

The storage temperature of samples after concentration (if concentrated) and prior to extraction

The approximate average duration of time between when samples are concentrated (if concentrated) and when they are extracted

Was the sample treated with any chemicals prior to reaching the lab? These could include chemicals, such as stabilizers, added to the sample or chemicals, such as chlorine, added to the wastewater treatment train upstream of the sample collection point. Do not be specify pasteurization here; it should be specified in the 'pasteurized' field.

If 'pretreatment' is "yes", then specify the chemicals used

Should the DCIPHER QC report ignore this sample? The purpose of this field is to allow for removal of samples from the QC report so that samples with unresolvable QC issues do not clutter the report. This field only affects whether samples are shown in the QC report, not how they are otherwise processed or analyzed. If the value is "yes", then this sample will be excluded from the QC report. If the value is "no" or [empty], then this sample will be included in the QC report for up to 90 days. Samples will only be included in the QC report for up to 90 days, regardless of the value specified in ‘qc_ignore’.

Does this observation have quality control issues? 

The type of nucleic acid used as a standard for the PCR target quantification

Percent of spiked recovery control, specified in 'rec_eff_target_name', that was recovered

Spike concentration, on average, of the recovery control on a per sample volume basis

Matrix into which the recovery efficiency control target is spiked

Name of the recovery efficiency control target that is spiked in

The CDC Epidemiology and Laboratory Capacity (ELC) jurisdiction, most frequently a state, reporting these data (2-letter abbreviation)

The date of sample collection; for composite samples, specify the date on which sample collection began

The local time of sample collection; for composite samples, specify the time at which sample collection began

An ID assigned to a wastewater sample. It must be unique for this NWSS reporting jurisdiction. Wastewater samples that are split and measured by different labs should have the same sample ID but different lab IDs. Wastewater samples for which multiple PCR targets are measured should also have the same sample ID. Note: do not include PII in this field.

Sample collection location in the wastewater system, whether at a wastewater treatment plant (or other community level treatment infrastructure such as community-scale septic) or upstream in the wastewater system

If 'sample_location' is "upstream", specify the collection location in the wastewater system; an arbitrary name may be used if you do not wish to disclose the real name. 

Wastewater matrix from which the sample was collected

Type of sample collected, whether grab or composite. If composite, also provide the duration of sampling and type of composite, as listed in the Value Set (e.g., "24-hr flow-weighted composite"). A grab sample is defined as an individual sample collected without compositing or adding other samples, regardless of whether the sample matrix is liquid wastewater or sludge.

What is the approximate sewage travel time, on average, from sewage source to this sampling site (i.e., this wastewater treatment plant or, if 'sample_location' is "upstream", then this upstream location)? This should be specified as a duration in hours, not a time of day.

Nationally unique sampling site identifier assigned following NWSS format.  <5 digit county FIPS code for WWTP address>-<3 digit facility code>-<2 digit interceptor and sewershed code>-<2 digit subsewershed code>-<2 digit site code>

Process used to separate solid and liquid phases of the sample, either prior to or in the absence of the concentration method specified in 'concentration_method'

A publication, website, or brief description of the quantitative standard material used

Does the wastewater treatment plant specified in 'wwtp_name' treat water from a combined sewer system (i.e., a sewer system that collects both sewage and stormwater)?

The date on which this PCR target measurement was made

Current local time zone corresponding to the time specified in 'sample_collect_time', represented as a UTC time offset (e.g., UTC-06:00)

Total volume of sample concentrated (if concentrated); this total volume is not necessarily assayed and is not necessarily equal to the value specified in 'equiv_sewage_amt'

Total suspended solids of raw (or, if unavailable, post-grit removal) wastewater 

Are the laboratory methods for the pcr_ target validated within the jurisdiction? If lab methods are validated, the value will be "yes". If lab methods are unvalidated, the value will be "no". NWSS accepts both validated and unvalidated data. 

State, DC, US territory, or Freely Associated State jurisdiction name (2-letter abbreviation) in which the wastewater treatment plant provided in 'wwtp_name' is located

The name of the Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) to which this wastewater flows. If this wastewater does not flow to a WWTP,  specify an identifiable name for the septic or other treatment system to which this wastewater flows. An arbitrary name may be used if you do not wish to disclose the real name.

NWSS Data Dictionary

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