What are the sources of water pollution and how do we control them?
The quality of the State’s waters can be affected by many sources that come in different forms and amounts. For regulatory purposes, these sources are categorized by whether they are planned, easily-identified “end-of-pipe” waste discharges from a single, discrete source such as constructed conveyance systems (known as “point source discharges”), or from planned or unplanned discharges from more diffuse runoff that covers a wide area (known as “nonpoint source discharges”). The waste can be in liquid or solid form, and can be in small to very large volumes. The Water Boards regulate waste discharges to both surface waters, such as rivers and the ocean, and groundwaters (via discharge to land). The type of permits issued by the Water Boards to control these various sources of pollutants depends on the type/category of waste, where the waste is discharged, and State and federal laws and regulations.
