Legal Definitions - point source

In environmental law, a point source refers to any specific, identifiable location or facility from which pollutants are released into the environment. Unlike widespread or diffuse pollution, a point source can be precisely pinpointed, monitored, and regulated.

Here are some examples to illustrate this concept:

• Industrial Wastewater Discharge Pipe: Imagine a textile factory that processes fabrics and discharges its treated wastewater into a nearby river through a large, visible pipe. The end of this pipe, where the water exits, is considered a point source. Regulators can easily identify this specific pipe, collect samples of the discharged water, and measure the levels of any pollutants originating from that precise location.

• Power Plant Smokestack: Consider a natural gas-fired power plant that generates electricity. The exhaust gases, including various air pollutants, are released into the atmosphere through a tall, prominent smokestack. The top opening of this smokestack is a point source for air pollution. Environmental agencies can install monitoring equipment directly on or near the stack to measure the volume and composition of emissions coming from that single, identifiable point.

• Municipal Sewage Treatment Plant Outfall: A city's wastewater treatment plant processes sewage from homes and businesses. After treatment, the cleaned water is often discharged into a large body of water, such as an ocean or a major river, through a dedicated outfall pipe. The specific opening of this outfall pipe is a point source because it's a singular, discernible location from which the treated effluent (which, while treated, is still considered a discharge) enters the natural environment. This allows for targeted oversight and compliance checks.