EC238 Lecture Notes - Lecture 9: Water Politics, Nonpoint Source Pollution, Urban Runoff
Document Summary
There are 2 types of water bodies at risk of contamination from pollution; Point source pollution is discharged into surface water at a specific location through a drainage pipe or ditch. The primary point sources are industries and municipalities. Point sources are relatively easy to monitor and predict. Nonpoint source pollution is runoff that comes from a variety of sources and includes agricultural and urban runoff. Nonpoint sources are much more difficult to control due to the unpredictability and uncertainty associated with the exact source. Due to the relative ease of controlling point sources, most past policies have focused on controlling point sources. As such, it is estimated that over half of the waste load to rivers and lakes now comes from nonpoint sources. Rivers and lakes the primary point sources are industries and municipalities. The primary nonpoint sources involve agricultural activity of different forms. The contamination of groundwater usually comes from the migration of harmful substances.
