Illicit Discharge Detection is Going to the Dogs

In December of 2006 we began a program to scent train a canine to locate illicit discharges in municipal storm sewer systems. As a member of a field crew, Sable, a 15 month old male German shepherd mix, conducts investigations alongside his human counterparts. Based on data collected, Sable's observations are consistent with the conclusions reached by the traditional laboratory testing, coupled with the human observations. Canine scent tracking is a viable, realistic, effective and efficient way of identifying and tracking potential illicit discharges in both a rural and urban environment. Historically field crews waited for analytical lab results, nominally a 2-week and expensive process. The use of canine scent tracking provides immediate feedback on status of an illicit connection, or lack there of. This in turn reduces the overall cost of the program and duration needed potentially removing pollutants from our waterways sooner.