Impact of Nonpoint Source Pollution on Meeting National Water Quality Goals

National needs far exceed the Federal funds which are appropriated each year for waste treatment facilities. It is suggested that the Environmental Protection Agency should devise strategies to give greater consideration to how nonpoint source controls can achieve water quality goals in a more cost-effective manner. Nonpoint pollution (which comes from farmlands, forests, urban streets, and mines) refers to situations where pollutants enter the water in a diffused and diluted form rather than from a specific discharge point (such as discharges from factories or municipal wastewater facilities). Responsibility has been delegated to State and areawide planning agencies to develop and carry out nonpoint source control programs. Little has been accomplished, however, because major emphasis has been on point sources and the States and local agencies lack the time, funds, and Federal technical assistance necessary to develop adequate nonpoint source data. The collection of better data on nonpoint sources of pollution is essential in order to establish priorities for selecting those projects providing the greatest benefit to controlling water pollution. With the limited funds available, some choices must be made between constructing municipal wastewater treatment facilities and implementing practices to control both point and nonpoint sources of pollution. Sound, cost-effective, and beneficial solutions to the problem will not be achieved unless there is front-end planning to develop more and better data on the sources, extent, and impact of nonpoint pollution.