SOURCE WATER POLLUTION

Point Source and Non-Point Source Pollution

Water sources can be affected by two types of contamination: Point source and Non-point source pollution.

Point source pollution occurs when pollutants at a precise location and from an identifiable source enter the waterways.  When not properly maintained, examples of point source pollution can include:

• Industrial Discharges
• Municipal Wastewater Effluents
• Septic Systems
• Landfill sites
• Underground Storage Oil and Gas Tanks

*U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Non-point source pollution comes from diverse sources and origins.  Non-point source pollution occurs when water, running over the land surface and through the ground, collects natural or human-made pollutants and deposits them into Tampa Bay area lakes, rivers, wetlands, seas, or groundwater.  Examples of non-point source pollution can include:

• Excessive and improper use of fertilizers, herbicides, and insecticides from agricultural land and residential areas
• Oil, grease and toxic chemicals runoff
• Illegal dumpsites
• Soil erosion from construction sites, if not properly maintained
• Pesticides from urban and rural runoff