Approved by the Energy, Environment, and Water Policy Committee on December 20, 2023
Approved by the Public Policy and Practice Committee on May 1, 2024
Adopted by the Board of Direction on July 18, 2024
Policy
The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) supports efforts to mitigate pollution from non-point source (NPS) runoff into surface and ground water basins and recommends:
- Strengthened public education programs on non-point source pollution.
- The development of regulations and programmatic mechanisms to require mitigation of NPS pollution impacts.
- Increased funding for research to evaluate the impacts of NPS pollution in surface water and groundwater.
- The development of improved and sustainable best management practices (BMPs).
- Implementation of a cost-effective combination of BMPs along with Recognition that infrastructure construction, rehabilitation, and maintenance is an opportunity to reduce the impact of legacy NPS pollution.
Issue
EPA has identified NPS pollution as the nation’s largest remaining source of water-quality problems. NPS pollution is caused by many sources, including agriculture, forestry, grazing, septic systems, mine runoff, boating and marinas, urban and road runoff, construction, physical changes to stream channels, and habitat degradation. Individuals in their daily activities contribute to NPS pollution problems. EPA has reported that agricultural and urban runoff are two of the leading contributors to non-point source pollution.
Addressing NPS pollution requires a watershed approach that incorporates water quality and quantity to protect water sources. The science and implementation of green infrastructure BMPs has advanced, and recent studies demonstrate the effectiveness of these approaches, but further research into their performance and longevity is needed to bring better identify the economic and environmental impacts. ASCE has long been involved with advancing the understanding of green infrastructure BMPs and initially partnered with EPA in 1996 to develop the International Stormwater BMP Database. ASCE, EPA, private companies, and the U.S. Department of Transportation continue to partner to publish and update the International Stormwater BMP Database which includes BMP performance summary information.
Inadequate management practices that fail to prevent, eliminate, or reduce the effects of NPS pollution significantly impact water quality and the ecosystem. Surface waters containing NPS pollution eventually flow move through wetlands, lakes, rivers, estuaries, and coastal environments and can threaten habitats, water supplies, and economic activities.
Groundwater is vulnerable to NPS pollution. Protecting the quality of groundwater should be viewed with the same importance as surface water in the control of NPS pollution. Education is an important step in mitigating poor practices to be followed by the establishment and implementation of BMPs and/or infrastructure solutions.
Rationale
Civil engineers play a major role in the design and construction of facilities and infrastructure that can eliminate, prevent, or reduce NPS pollution to our nation’s rivers, lakes, wetlands, ground water basins, and oceans.
ASCE Policy Statement 461
First Approved in 1997