In an urban area, oil leaks and lawn chemicals entering a creek are best categorized as which runoff type?

In an urban area, oil leaks and lawn chemicals entering a creek are best categorized as which runoff type?

• A. Urban runoff
• B. Agricultural runoff
• C. Stormwater runoff
• D. Sediment pollution

Answer: (A)

Runoff type is labeled by where the water and pollutants come from. Oil leaks and lawn chemicals are pollutants tied to urban land use—cars, driveways, and residential lawns—so when rain or water flows over these surfaces into a creek, that water is urban runoff. Stormwater runoff is the hydrologic process of rainwater flowing over surfaces and picking up contaminants; it can occur in urban areas, but the scenario emphasizes the urban source of the pollutants rather than farming or natural sediment. Agricultural runoff would come from farms and field practices, not city environments, and sediment pollution describes sediment as the pollutant rather than the land-use source. So, the best fit is urban runoff.

Runoff type is labeled by where the water and pollutants come from. Oil leaks and lawn chemicals are pollutants tied to urban land use—cars, driveways, and residential lawns—so when rain or water flows over these surfaces into a creek, that water is urban runoff. Stormwater runoff is the hydrologic process of rainwater flowing over surfaces and picking up contaminants; it can occur in urban areas, but the scenario emphasizes the urban source of the pollutants rather than farming or natural sediment. Agricultural runoff would come from farms and field practices, not city environments, and sediment pollution describes sediment as the pollutant rather than the land-use source. So, the best fit is urban runoff.