Point source water pollution comes from discrete conveyances and alters the chemical, biological, and physical characteristics of water. It is largely regulated by the
Clean Water Act (CWA) of 1972. Among other things, the Act requires dischargers to obtain a NPDES permit to legally discharge pollutants into a waterbody. However, water pollution remains an issue due to some limitations of the Act. Consequently, other regulatory approaches have emerged, such as water quality trading and voluntary community-level efforts.