Drinking Water Mgmt. The sources of pollutants and the type of discharger determines the type of application forms and information needed. For regulatory purposes these sources are generally categorized as either point source or nonpoint sources.
Municipalities receive primarily domestic sewage from residential and commercial customers.
Non-municipal sources, including industrial and commercial facilities, are unique with respect to the types of pollutants generated by the facility. Unlike domestic wastewater, the types of raw materials, production processes, treatment technologies and pollutants discharged vary widely and are facility specific. An individual permit is tailored for a specific facility based on an individual application. The permit is then issued for a specified period of time not to exceed five years. General permits are developed and issued by EPA to cover multiple facilities within a specific category, industry or area.