Nonpoint Source Program

What is Nonpoint Source Pollution?
Nonpoint source (NPS) pollution is a leading cause of many water quality impairments in the San Diego region. Unlike pollution from distinct, identifiable sources, NPS pollution 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, groundwater, and other inland and coastal waters. NPS pollution comes from many diffuse sources including agriculture (pesticides, herbicides, fertilizer, sediments), urban runoff (construction sites, roads, industry, residential areas), marinas and boating, hydromodification, and mining.

Nonpoint Source Program
The federal Clean Water Act requires states to develop a program to protect the quality of water resources from the adverse effects of NPS water pollution. The NPS Program aims to minimize NPS pollution from land use. The NPS Program’s goal is to protect water quality and maintain beneficial uses.

The San Diego Region NPS Program is guided by the 2020-2025 Nonpoint Source Program Implementation Plan. This implementation plan is updated every five years to reflect current priorities for NPS programs.

Nonpoint Source 319(h) Grant Program
The State Water Resources Control Board NPS Program administers grant money it receives from the United States Environmental Protection Agency through section 319(h) of the federal Clean Water Act. These grant funds can be used to implement projects or programs that will help to reduce NPS pollution. Projects that qualify for funding must be conducted within the state's NPS priority watersheds identified in the grant guidelines. Project proposals that address total maximum daily load (TMDL) implementation and those that address problems in impaired waters are favored in the selection process. The grants also focus on implementing management activities that lead to reduction and/or prevention of pollutants that threaten or impair surface and ground waters.

Solicitation typically begins each year in September and ends in the middle of December. We highly recommend that groups interested in applying contact the San Diego Water Board staff listed under Staff Contacts prior to submitting an NPS 319(h) grant application. For additional details on NPS 319(h) grants, please visit the link below:
https://www.waterboards.ca.gov/water_issues/programs/nps/319grants.html