Document Type
Poster
Publication Date
5-19-2021
College/Unit
Institute of Water Security and Science
Abstract
The assistance of programming tools to speed up the exchange of water quality datasets are necessary. These tools reduce and simplify the steps currently needed to transfer datasets from water quality monitoring stations to public databases. Here it is presented a library developed in Python that programmatically covers the steps related to the upload of datasets following the framework of the Water Quality Exchange (WQX) of the US EPA. This library is mainly characterized by its ability to efficiently connect and transfer data formatted as CSV or XLSX files via the WQX to the National STORET Data Warehouse by mostly mimicking the WQX Web API endpoints with a WQXWeb Python class. It replaces the manual process of using the WQX Web app in CDX's web interface to upload datasets. The transfer protocol semi-automates the import of datasets using the same credentials. To illustrate advantages of the Python library available in PyPi (https://pypi.org/project/wqxweblib), it is presented an example that compares the Python library and the traditional/manual way to import data to WQX Web. Use of this library can speed up the development of data workflows and reduce code duplication and human error. Additionally, the availability of the code in GitHub (https://github.com/FlippingBinary/wqxweblib-python) allows any user to debug, test and improve the code as needed or incorporate it in further applications.
Recommended Citation
Musselwhite, J and F Rojano. 2021. Development of a Python Library to Facilitate WQX Dataset Exchanges. IWSS Spring Workshop Series (Virtual).
Included in
Environmental Monitoring Commons, Hydrology Commons, Natural Resources Management and Policy Commons, Water Resource Management Commons
Comments
IWSS Spring 2021 Workshop Series Poster Session