Our Mission: To promote sustainable agriculture and communities while protecting and wisely using the natural resources of Indiana County.
What is Nonpoint Source (NPS) Pollution?
(taken from EPA's Polluted brochure EPA-841-F-94-005, 1994)
Nonpoint source (NPS) pollution, unlike pollution from industrial and sewage treatment plants, comes from many diffuse sources. NPS pollution is caused by rainfall or snowmelt moving over and through the ground. As the runoff moves, it picks up and carries away natural and human-made pollutants, finally depositing them into lakes, rivers, wetlands, coastal waters, and even our underground sources of drinking water. These pollutants include:
-
Excess fertilizers, herbicides, and insecticides from agricultural lands and residential areas;
-
Oil, grease, and toxic chemicals from urban runoff and energy production;
-
Sediment from improperly managed construction sites, crop and forest lands, and eroding streambanks;
-
Salt from irrigation practices and acid drainage from abandoned mines;
-
Bacteria and nutrients from livestock, pet wastes, and faulty septicsystems;
We can all do our part in reducing Non-Point Source Pollution.