Common Non-Point Source Pollutants

USEPA Storm Water Program

Good Housekeeping Brochure
Watershed Education Brochure
After the Storm Brochure

Below are some of the most common non-source point pollutants.

Sediment
These pollutants are tiny particles of rock and soil from soil erosion and construction sites that clog water systems, smother aquatic life, transport other contaminants, and stirs-up sediments in the water.

 

 

 Nutrients
Elements, such as nitrogen and phosphorus, which is found in fertilizers and leaky septic systems, cause algal blooms that harm livestock and fish.

 

 

 

 Toxic Chemicals
Materials found in industry, agriculture, and in the home, such as oil, cadmium, lead, mercury, copper, and zinc, have harmful health effects on humans and deplete aquatic life.

 

 

Animal Waste 
Urine and fecal matter from animals that enters stormwater can cause diseases such as dysentery, hepatitis, food poisoning, and parasite infections in humans.

 

 

 

Pesticides
Any pesticide, including the insecticides, herbicides, and fertilizers used in farming, nurseries, gardens, and yards, can cause contamination.

 

 

Motor Oil
Oil from cars and ships kills algae and aquatic life.

 

 

 

Household Hazardous Waste
These pollutants are common materials such as oven cleaner, gasoline, and paint that cause contamination.

 

 

EPA Polluted Runoff (Nonpoint Source Pollution)