Nonpoint Source Pollution Control

Nonpoint source (NPS) pollution, also known as polluted runoff, is the leading cause of water quality impairments in California. Nonpoint sources, including natural sources, are the major contributors of pollution to impacted streams, lakes, wetlands, estuaries, marine waters, and ground water basins, and are important contributors to harbors and bays. Unlike pollution from distinct, identifiable sources, NPS pollution comes from many diffuse sources. It is caused by rainfall, snowmelt, or irrigation water that moves over and through the ground. As the runoff moves, it picks up and carries away natural and human-made pollutants and deposits them into lakes, rivers, wetlands, ground water, and other inland and coastal waters. Common sources of NPS pollution include agricultural and urban runoff, and erosion from timber harvesting, construction and roads. According to the Porter-Cologne Water Quality Act the Regional Water Boards regulate anyone discharging or proposing to discharge materials that could affect water quality. The Regional Board uses the "three tiered approach" as a basis of controlling NPS pollution. This approach utilizes three different and progressively more stringent options of enforcement to ensure water quality objectives are achieved.

Tier one: Self-determined implementation of management practices where landowner and resource managers develop and implement workable solutions to NPS pollution. This affords them the opportunity to solve their own problems before more stringent regulatory actions are taken.

Tier Two: Regulatory-based encouragement of management practices where the Regional Board will refrain from imposing effluent requirements on dischargers who are implementing management practices in accordance with a waiver of waste discharge requirements, an approved Management Agency Agreement, or other formal Regional or State Water Board action.

Tier Three: Effluent limitations and enforcement where the Regional Board can enforce requirements on any proposed or existing waste discharge, including NPS discharges. Enforcement action may be considered when there is a violation of an effluent limit, there is a spill, leak, fill or other discharge, and where there is a failure to perform an action required by the Board. Enforcement actions include Cease and Desist Orders, Cleanup and Abatement Orders and Administrative Civil Liability.

For more information on the State Boards Non Point Source Pollution Control Program:

http://www.waterboards.ca.gov/water_issues/programs/nps/

Contact: Diana Henrioulle at 576-2350, dhenrioulle-henry@waterboards.ca.gov