​Stormwater Outreach

  • Develops and implements public outreach programs to engage residents and visitors
  • Offers many stormwater-related outreach programs and activities for our residents, volunteer groups, students, and teachers to learn about and participate in stormwater programs.
  • Works with non-profit organizations, homeowner associations, schools, and businesses to help them reduce runoff and water pollution.

Volunteer opportunities

  • Adopt-a-Drain – Volunteer to stop pollution at the storm drain by clearing debris from around your adopted drain at least six times per year.

  • ​Storm Drain Marker Program – Mark storm drains to help raise awareness about protecting storm drains.

  • Parks and Recreation Adopt-a Programs – Adopt an area to keep litter-free.

  • Clean the Bay Day – Organize your team to participate in this one-day marine debris cleanup. Each year, on the first Saturday of June, thousands of Virginians descend on the rivers, streams, and beaches of the Chesapeake Bay watershed to remove litter and debris, thus helping improve water quality in local streams, rivers and the Bay.

  • Check out a Litter Kit from the Library – Want to do a small cleanup in your neighborhood? Consider the Litter Kit Checkout Program through Virginia Beach Public Library. The kit includes grabbers, a safety vest, and bucket to pick up litter any time.

Partnerships

The City of Virginia Beach participates in regional organizations and partners with non-profit groups with similar missions to improve water quality through public education and grant programs. Some of these partnerships help provide cost-sharing and technical assistance to address natural resource and stormwater concerns on private property.

  • askHRgreen.org – A public awareness program in partnership with the 16 cities and counties of Hampton Roads and the Hampton Roads Sanitation District administered through the Hampton Roads Planning District Commission​
  • Lynnhaven River NOW – A non-profit organization focused on restoring and protecting the Lynnhaven River and other Virginia Beach watersheds
  • Elizabeth River Project – A non-profit organization focused on restoring the Elizabeth River

With funding support from the City, Lynnhaven River NOW and Elizabeth River Project offer programs that make voluntary installation of stormwater Best Management Practices (BMPs) more affordable. These organizations offer cost-share programs for residential homes to implement BMPs, such as rain gardens, infiltration trenches, rain barrels, and nutrient management plans. If you live in the Lynnhaven or Elizabeth River watersheds, contact your respective organization for more information.

Outside the Lynnhaven or Elizabeth River watersheds, consider the Virginia Conservation Assistance Program, which is administered by the Virginia Soil and Water Conservation District. It offers grant funding for BMPs designed to manage stormwater runoff onsite.

  • Stormwater & Flood Protection
    • Flood Protection Program Flood Protection Program FAQ Flood Model Visualization & Exposure Tool Flood Prevention Bond Referendum Oversight Board Central Resort District Drainage Improvements 24th Street 21st and Baltic Eastern Shore Drive - Phase 1 Lake Bradford/Chubb Lake Linkhorn Bay Drainage Basin Southern Rivers Watershed Pungo Ferry Road New Bridge Road West Neck Creek Bridge Stormwater Green Infrastructure Marsh Restoration in Back Bay Elizabeth River Wetland and Floodplain Restoration Windsor Woods, Princess Anne Plaza & The Lakes Project Comments Project Updates Master Planning Sea Level Wise Stormwater Planning Projects Ashville Park Stormwater Bow Creek Stormwater Project Eastern Shore Drive Drainage Improvement Lake Bradford & Chubb Lake Stormwater Windsor Woods, Princess Anne Plaza and The Lakes Stormwater Stormwater Quality Stormwater Management Facilities Stormwater Regulations Stormwater Utility Fee Discount Stormwater Quality Projects & Evaluations 17th Street Regional Stormwater Facility Ashville Bridge Creek Watershed Bayville Lake Water Quality Improvement Bellamy Woods Water Quality Improvement Brigadoon Park Water Quality Improvement Brooklyn Avenue Water Quality Improvement Chatham Hall Lake Water Quality Improvement Historic Kempsville Water Quality Improvements Kemps Lake Water Quality Improvement Kemps River Crossing Water Quality Improvement Lake Bradford & Great Neck Lake Monitoring Lake James Watershed Lakes Water Quality Monitoring Study Laurel Cove Park Water Quality Improvement Lynnhaven Park Constructed Wetlands Lynnhaven River Basin Ecosystem Restoration Project Oceana Gardens Constructed Wetlands Salem Village Park Water Quality Improvement Sandbridge Road Manufactured Treatment Device Saw Pen Point Shoreline Restoration Seatack Park Wet Swale Mosquito Control Mosquito-Borne Diseases Get Involved Adopt-a-Drain Good to Do National Flood Insurance Program