- Specific identifiable locations like factories, power plants, wastewater treatment plants, or any single concentrated point from where the pollutants are discharged.

- Subject to permitting for discharge limits by the federal government via the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit program within the U.S. Clean Water Act.

Non-Point Sources:

- Pollutants not identifiable as coming from one specific location, but rather from many dispersed sources.

- Often originate from land runoff contaminated by agricultural chemicals or fertilizers, animal wastes, sediment, etc.

- More challenging to regulate and control since they are diffuse.