1. Karen Reynolds, Environmental Canine Services LLC
The Nose Knows! Using Canines to Scent Track bacterial pollution sources in the navesink river
Karen Reynolds, Environmental Canine Services LLC

2. WHY TRACK SOURCES OF BACTERIA?
Exposure to bacteria in the water can cause diseases and infections in people and animals.
Shellfish harvesting, fishing, boating, and swimming are impacted by serious health concerns in water polluted by bacteria
to keep the nation’s waters healthy and safe.

3. Sources of Bacterial pollution
Animal Feces
Pets
Livestock
Wildlife

4. Human Sewage Broken/leaking sewer lines Failing septic systems
Illicit connections
Sewer overflows

5. Environmental canine services llc
K9 detection & source tracking of human sewage pollution in stormwater and surface water
Founded in 2009 by Karen & Scott Reynolds
Nationwide - 3 Teams
Northeast
Midwest
West
Over 50 projects completed in 11 states
CA, CT, FL, MA, ME, MI,
NH, VT, WA, WI, WV

6. Why use canines? Born to sniff!
Olfactory receptor cells
Human = 5 million
Dog = 300 million
Odor Concentrations
Detect scent at up to 100 million times lower level than humans
Scent discrimination
Catalog incredible amount of specific scents

7. Advantages of Using ECS canines
Human Specific
Immediate Results
On-the-fly Source Tracking
Lower costs

8. Human specific & Immediate Results
Fecal coliform
lab results
= hours
*Animal or human ?
ECS canine results 7 samples = 30 seconds!

9. On-The-Fly Source Tracking
ECS canines can quickly check for pollution upstream through stormwater systems and surface waters, providing instant information and allowing immediate source tracking .

10. Canine investigation METHODS: WHAT WE CAN USE TO HELP THE NAVESINK
Watershed water sample testing
Septic failure and direct discharge investigations
Stormwater system investigations
Shoreline investigations
Investigations by boat

11. Watershed Water Sample Testing
Ship and Sniff
On Site

12. Septic Failures & Direct Discharges
Failing Septic
Exeter, NH
Illicit Discharge
Berrien County, MI

13. Stormwater Systems Outfalls Milwaukee, WI Catch Basins Manholes
Seattle, WA
Boston, MA

14. Shorelines
Bay
Manchester, WA
Ocean
Freshwater
Salem, NH
Rye, NH

15. By Boat
Lincoln Lake in Kent County, MI

16. Questions?