ome states ask communities or public water systems to review the inventory to obtain detailed information about potential contaminant sources. Others use computer databases and focus the inventory on land uses and activities that are currently mapped or regulated. Although the latter approach might not address sources of contaminants that are not currently regulated, such as small livestock areas or auto salvage yards, the database inventories could include industries and sewage treatment plants that discharge wastewater, hazardous waste sites, mining operations, particular land use categories (such as industrial, agricultural and urban areas), and various facilities that have environmental permits.
Community groups such as watershed organizations, local environmental committees or scout troops can enhance the state's assessment by conducting site-specific inventories of potential pollutant sources that might not be on state databases or maps. Local inventories might provide information on abandoned dump sites, businesses with septic tanks or floor drains (such as dry cleaners or car repair shops), pesticide mixing and storage areas, golf courses, and other land uses that might release pollutants to ground water or surface water. Community groups can coordinate their local inventory with the state's assessment process or can enhance a completed assessment with a more detailed inventory.