Water pollution is a scary word. All it tells us is that there is something in the water that’s not naturally there. The problem is that the word “pollution” is general and doesn’t tell you anything specific about what’s in the water or how it got there. Water pollution is easier to understand and prevent when we break it down into types.

There are two overall types of pollution: point source pollution and non-point source pollution. Point source pollution comes from a distinct source such as a discharge pipe. Non-point source pollution comes from diffuse sources including runoff and atmospheric deposition. [Read more…]