Question:
What is "Point Source" Pollution?
Answer:
Flow that comes from sewage treatment and industrial plant outlets is said to come from "point source" discharges. Further, Section 502 (14) of the Water Quality Act of 1987 defines point source as "any discernible, confined, and discrete conveyance, including but not limited to any pipe, ditch, channel, tunnel, conduit, well, discrete fissure, container, rolling stock, concentrated animal feeding operation, or vessel or other floating craft from which pollutants are or may be discharged. This term does not include agricultural stormwater discharges and return flows from irrigated agriculture." Legally, therefore, discharge from separate municipal storm drain systems is considered point source discharge, even though the true source of stormwater pollution can be traced to runoff across the land surface.
Links:
L.A. Regional Water Quality Control Board
What is "Point Source" Pollution?
Answer:
Flow that comes from sewage treatment and industrial plant outlets is said to come from "point source" discharges. Further, Section 502 (14) of the Water Quality Act of 1987 defines point source as "any discernible, confined, and discrete conveyance, including but not limited to any pipe, ditch, channel, tunnel, conduit, well, discrete fissure, container, rolling stock, concentrated animal feeding operation, or vessel or other floating craft from which pollutants are or may be discharged. This term does not include agricultural stormwater discharges and return flows from irrigated agriculture." Legally, therefore, discharge from separate municipal storm drain systems is considered point source discharge, even though the true source of stormwater pollution can be traced to runoff across the land surface.
Links:
L.A. Regional Water Quality Control Board