Runoff that contains
a large amount of organic matter can also
cause eutrophication of the surface waters,
reducing oxygen availability and resulting
in loss of aquatic species (Barnes et al.,
2001). Not only does polluted runoff impact
the ecosystem, but it can affect human
health as well. For example, untreated urban
runoff onto public beaches has caused surfers
twice as many health problems than
beaches not exposed to urban runoff
(Dwight et al., 2004).