Non-Point Source Pollution

NPS pollution comes from many diffuse sources. It is caused by rainfall or snowmelt moving over and through the ground. Runoff after rain events pick up and carry away natural and human-made pollutants, finally depositing them into lakes, rivers, wetlands, coastal waters, and even our underground sources of drinking water. NPS pollution remains the largest source of pollution of water bodies the United States. (EPA, 1997)