​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.