Environmental remediation and compliance monitoring are time sensitive and dependent on quick access to reliable, actionable information. Data visualization is often the most appropriate means of decision support for day-to-day monitoring and site characterization. However, the time delay between data collection and data visualization is not conducive to time critical decision making. Legacy workflows include collecting field data on paper, scanning smudged documents into a computer, transcribing data into spreadsheets, and troubleshooting endless transcription errors. Boring logs, cross-sections, field observations, and water quality parameters that should have supported yesterday’s decisions are generated days and weeks later, costing projects time and money.

Graphic 1: Collect to EnviroInsite example with box plots, contours, time-series trend charts 

EQuIS shortens the time between data collection and visualization by linking the field and office through EQuIS Collect and EnviroInsite software applications. Environmental professionals now have near real time access to quality assured field data just minutes after it was collected. This equates to quicker response times, better management of field resources, improved accuracy in decision making, and ultimately cost savings to the project. EQuIS Collect provides field personnel with an operating system agnostic mobile app supporting the collection and validation of any field data. Water quality parameters, risk assessment activities, lithology intervals, odor observations, XRF measurements, and more are recorded on smart forms, screened by in-form validation, verified by the EQuIS Data Processor (EDP), and committed to the EQuIS database within minutes of being collected. Upon committal, EQuIS EnviroInsite auto-generates reports such as boring logs and annotated maps to support quick decision making and two-way communication between the field and office. Reports that once took weeks to generate are delivered to decision makers mere minutes after data are collected in the field.

 

Scenario 1:

A geologist is sent to the field with instructions from the project manager to drill a monitoring well and set a screen from 50-60 feet. As the field personnel are drilling, the geologist populates an EQuIS Collect smart form with lithology observations, the form auto-generates the appropriate USCS code, sends the code back to EQuIS in the office, and begins to construct a boring log in real time. The smell of solvent is present at 30 feet, recorded in the form, transmitted to EQuIS, and received by the project manager. With this new information, the PM notifies the geologist and drillers to set the screen from 35-45 feet, saving time and money, and providing more appropriate data for future contaminant tracking and site characterization.

 

Graphic 2: Collect to Boring Log quickly and easily

 

Scenario 2:

A severe weather event takes place onsite and damages several key data loggers, monitoring wells, and infield equipment. Depending on the severity level, personnel must be deployed to repair the damages in a timely manner and keep the site functioning. Using EQuIS Collect, several field techs set out to observe the damage and rate severity levels from 1-5. Within hours, repair personnel have all necessary information and are equipped to respond to the most severe and time critical damages using a map-based severity level display. EQuIS Collect results in better resource management, shortened response times, and more efficient emergency response planning.

 

Graphic 3: Collect severity levels

EQuIS Collect is currently deployed on sites globally. Collect and EnviroInsite will soon support UAV data, water accounting, and real-time data acquisition/visualization from loggers. The Collect to EnviroInsite workflow continues to grow and help EQuIS users save time and money while supporting time critical decisions.

Request a demo here.