NON-POINT SOURCE POLLUTION

Facts on Non-Point Source Pollution

 What is Non-Point Source Pollution?

What Causes Non-Point Source Pollution?

What Pollutants Contribute to Non-Point Source Pollution?

What Can I do to Prevent Non-Point Source Pollution?

 

Facts on Non-Point Source Pollution Why is there water that is too dirty for swimming, fishing, or drinking? Why are plants and animals vanishing from many rivers, lakes, and coastal waters? Much of this is caused by the nation's largest water quality problem: Non-Point Source Pollution. This problem is widespread, but it can be reduced through small changes in your own daily activities. This will provide answers to questions about non-point source pollution and provide ways in which you can help to stop this problem.

What is Non-Point Source Pollution? Non-Point Source Pollution involves pollution from dispersed sources that cannot be precisely identified, such as runoff from agriculture or seepage from septic tanks or sewage drainage fields. Non-Point Source (NPS) pollution occurs when rainfall, snow melt, or irrigation runs over land or through the ground, picks up pollutants, and deposits them into bodies of water.

What causes Non-Point Source Pollution? We all play a part. Non-point source pollution results from a wide variety of human activities on the land. Each of us can contribute to the problem without even realizing it.

What pollutants contribute to Non-Point Source Pollution?  Excessive fertilizers, herbicides, and insecticides.  Oil, grease and toxic chemicals from runoff and energy production.  Sediments from improperly managed construction sites, crop and forest lands, and eroding stream banks.  Silt from poor irrigation practices and acid drainage from abandoned mines. Bacteria and nutrients from livestock, pet wastes, and faulty septic systems. Alteration of the natural flow of water in rivers and streams.

What can I do to prevent Non-Point Source Pollution? Keep litter, pet wastes, leaves and debris out of street gutters and storm drains. Apply lawn and garden chemicals sparingly and according to directions. Dispose of oil, antifreeze, paint, and other household chemicals properly. Clean up spilled brake fluid, oil, grease and antifreeze. Control soil erosion on your property by planting ground cover and stabilizing erosion prone areas.

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