How can nonpoint sources reduce surface water pollution?
Source control through public education, community planning, and regulatory guidelines can be very effective, but often requires substantial changes in human behavior. Technological approaches, such as storm water BMPs, can help reduce nonpoint source pollution, but rarely if ever eliminate it entirely.
What strategies can be used to prevent point source pollution of water?
Ways to Prevent Water Pollution
- Pick up litter and throw it away in a garbage can.
- Blow or sweep fertilizer back onto the grass if it gets onto paved areas.
- Mulch or compost grass or yard waste.
- Wash your car or outdoor equipment where it can flow to a gravel or grassy area instead of a street.
How are nonpoint sources of pollution regulated by the federal government?
There are two principal federal laws effecting NPS water pollution: the Clean Water Act and the Coastal Zone Management Act. In addition, EPA’s “Clean Water Action Plan” (2009) outlines a strategy for enforcing CWA requirements, some of which are applicable to nonpoint sources.
What is nonpoint source pollution and why is this kind of pollution hard to monitor and control?
Nonpoint source pollution is difficult to control because it comes from many different sources and locations. Most nonpoint source pollution occurs as a result of runoff. When rain or melted snow moves over and through the ground, the water absorbs and assimilates any pollutants it comes into contact with.
What are point-source and nonpoint source pollutants?
Point and Nonpoint Pollution Sources Pollution originating from a single, identifiable source, such as a discharge pipe from a factory or sewage plant, is called point-source pollution. Pollution that does not originate from a single source, or point, is called nonpoint-source pollution.
Which of the following examples included both a point and a nonpoint source of pollution?
Which of the following examples includes both a point and a nonpoint source of pollution? Answer: Examples include smokestacks, discharge pipes, and drainage ditches.
Which of the following is an example of nonpoint source pollution that can have adverse impacts on water quality?
Nonpoint source pollution can include: Excess fertilizers, herbicides and insecticides from agricultural lands and residential areas. Oil, grease and toxic chemicals from urban runoff and energy production. Sediment from improperly managed construction sites, crop and forest lands, and eroding streambanks.
What is the problem with nonpoint source pollution?
Excess nonpoint source pollution impacts the overall quality of life, and subsequently can drive property values down. If nonpoint source pollution continues to plague the waters surrounding coastal communities, their economies and social conditions may rapidly deteriorate.
What are the point and nonpoint sources?
How do you control nonpoint source pollution?
Controlling Nonpoint Source Pollution. Sediment fences such as this are used to control erosion, trap large materials, filter sediment from rainwater, and slow runoff.
Where does nonpoint source pollution come from?
Even though the exact locations of nonpoint source pollution cannot be identified, scientists know that certain environments and operations produce a high volume of pollution. Experts have developed systems to reduce and even eliminate pollution from these places.
How can grass help reduce water pollution?
Grass planting and laying of straw around construction sites help reduce runoff and associated nonpoint source pollution. Buffer strips are planted located between a farm field and a body of water. The buffer strip absorbs soil, fertilizers, pesticides, and other pollutants before they can reach the water.
Why are coastal communities so vulnerable to pollution?
This is especially true in coastal communities where more than half of the U.S. population resides. If coastal populations continue to grow, the chances for more nonpoint source pollutants such as nutrients, sediments, pesticides, and other toxic chemicals to enter waterbodies via runoff increases.