**4. Protections and management**

The regulatory environment surrounding protections of stream ecosystems is vast. All are designed to understand the pollutant loading to the streams, create a plan for minimization and then implement these technologies throughout the built environment. Each addresses different parts of the problem such as point and nonpoint sources of water pollution.

#### **4.1 Point pollution control**

Point source water pollution control occurs throughout the world. In Europe, a directive designed for member states to collect and treat urban wastewater went into effect in 1991 [52]. Freedom was given each state to meet requirements based on reduction goals and receiving water classifications. In the USA, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) established the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination Permit (NPDES) program as part of the 1971 Clean Water Act to control any facility discharging waste directly into a stream [53]. In other
