What information is particularly useful to a pretreatment inspector tracing an illegal discharge?

When tracing an illegal discharge, having a good record of possible sources prior to an event is extremely beneficial for a pretreatment inspector. This prior knowledge provides a framework for understanding where potential issues may originate, allowing for a more informed and targeted investigation. Identifying previous or likely sources facilitates the inspector’s ability to correlate patterns, anticipate potential problems, and efficiently direct resources toward the most probable causes of illegal discharges.

This comprehensive understanding of possible sources enables the inspector to engage in focused reconnaissance, targeted sampling, and strategic assessments of specific facilities or operations that may contribute to illegal discharges. By having documented information and historical data, inspectors can develop insights that lead to effective compliance follow-up, ensuring that discharges can be traced back to their origins systematically.

In contrast, relying solely on visual observations or sampling results from only one source does not provide the comprehensive perspective needed to effectively identify the broader context of illegal discharges, and is therefore less effective in tracing the source of the problem. Accessing environmental reports alone may provide useful data but does not replace the need for a thorough understanding of potential discharge sources. Similarly, while knowledge of historical frequencies of illegal discharges can provide context, it is not as immediately actionable as having a current, detailed record of possible sources