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When the water runoff flows over surfaces, it will pick up and carry pollutants it encounters. Many of these pollutants come from waste that we produce or mishandle at our homes. Common runoff pollutants include oil, paint, household cleaning supplies, sediment, pesticides, fertilizers, trash, yard waste, and pet waste.

Source: https://www.scwd.org/your_water/grey_water__urban_runoff/urban_runoff.php

Receiving water is defined as a body of water such as an ocean, stream, river, pond, lake or other such body of water into which treated or untreated wastewater or effluent is discharged.

Diffuse pollution is the release of potential pollutants from a range of activities that, individually, may have no effect on the water environment, but, at the scale of a catchment, can have a significant effect.

Problems occur in both rural and urban environments.

Rural problems include:

• run-off from farmland;
• run-off from forestry activities;
• run-off from community and amenity green spaces.

We provide a range of advice and guidance for dealing with rural diffuse pollution.

Urban problems include:

• run-off from roads, houses and commercial areas;
• seepage into groundwater from developed landscapes of all kinds;
• yard run-off from industrial activities.

Source: https://www.sepa.org.uk/regulations/water/diffuse-pollution/