Current Issue: Nonpoint-Source Pollution

In 2026, Ontario Envirothon will be taking a look at non-point source pollution, water pollution that accumulates over a widespread area and enters into water bodies, such as polluted runoff from agricultural areas entering a stream. Stormwater runoff from precipitation events picks up and carries natural and human‐made pollutants, finally depositing them into streams, rivers, reservoirs and other bodies of water, impacting both aquatic and surrounding terrestrial ecosystems. This type of pollution can be contrasted with point source pollution, in which pollution entering a waterway can be traced to a single location such as industrial factories or sewage treatment plants.