The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has released a “beta” version of a new web-based tool that allows anyone to search and identify the amount, type, and location of wastewater pollutant discharges and the identity of the discharger. EPA is seeking comments on how to improve this tool and on the accuracy of the discharge monitoring data supporting it.

More than two million miles of the nation's infrastructure of water and wastewater pipes is nearing the end of its usefulness, but the mostly underground facilities often do not attract much attention because of this "invisibility," said Sunil Sinha, Virginia Tech associate professor of civil and environmental engineering (CEE).