Regulating Nonpoint Source Water Pollution in a Federal Government: Four Case Studies

Without effective regulation, nonpoint source water pollution is likely to increase as growth continues across the globe. This paper explores the history of and policy, legal and regulatory options for addressing nonpoint source water pollution in countries with a federal government. The legal mechanisms for controlling nonpoint sources of water pollution at the national and state level in four countries are identified and analysed. While the forms of control and level of governance at which these pollutants are regulated vary among the countries explored, the effectiveness of their control will depend largely on how strategic rather than patchwork the structure is.