Why a Dog?

While the concept of using a scent-trained K-9 to assist with the detection of illicit discharges in municipal storm sewer systems is new, it certainly is not farfetched.

Law enforcement has been utilizing dogs for the detection of explosives, accelerants, people, narcotics, and cadavers for decades. Beagles have been used by the USDA to detect fruits, vegetables, and meats brought into the country by international travelers since 1984. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is currently training canines to detect indoor air pollutants.

Researchers have varying opinions on the number of scent receptor cells dogs have. Opinions range from one million to over 200 million more than humans, depending on breeds. This may not be the only reason they are superior at detecting odors. It is their ability to discriminate between odors that give K-9s the edge. Dogs are capable of smelling each odor individually, ignoring background scents, and “selecting” the odor they want to track, which helps lead them to the source.

Illicit Discharge Detection and Elimination (IDDE) Quandaries

Implementing an effective IDDE program is easier said than done. In rural areas storm sewers and drains run for miles through dense foliage and rough, wet terrain. Accessing sites one time is difficult enough, but multiple visits are often required due to the necessity of waiting for the laboratory to confirm results. In urban areas conducting IDDE investigations may involve aging infrastructure and complex sewer networks.

Each time an outfall is located and found to be flowing during dry weather, (which indicates an illicit discharge may be present) water samples are collected and submitted for analysis. Sometimes observations alone are enough to suspect an illicit discharge, but more often conditions are too subtle to warrant further action before test results are available.

Testing for E-coli is the industry standard because it is the easiest and least expensive option (at this time) to confirm the presence of sewage and other pathogens. However, one set of samples for multiple parameters (surfactants, metals, ammonia) can take several weeks and still costs over $100 to analyze. Sometimes the test reveals that the sample was only ground water, but when results reveal contamination, field crews must head back to the site for further investigation. Either way, time and money is lost.

Unfortunately, there was no rapid result field test currently available…  UNTIL NOW.

Contact Environmental Canine Services LLC @ s.reynolds@sablethesniffer.com

517.231.6389