The Stormwater Management Regulatory Division identifies and implements water quality projects to improve the water quality of our local waterways and to comply with the City’s municipal separate storm sewer system (MS4) permit to reduce nutrients and sediment from stormwater. Cost participation options are available for both residential property owners and businesses that have an interest in supporting improvements to the quality of our waterways.

The MS4 permit is issued by the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) under authority of the Environmental Protection Agency and the Clean Water Act. The MS4 permit requires the implementation of projects associated with the Chesapeake Bay total maximum daily load (TMDL) action plan, the bacteria TMDL action plan, and the local phosphorus TMDL action plan to meet the required pollutant reductions.

Clean, healthy waterways are essential in Virginia Beach, where our lives and livelihoods are connected to the water used for swimming, fishing, and recreation. By performing water quality sampling and monitoring of our local streams and lakes, it's possible to identify areas of concern to educate the public and prevent future impairments of our waterways.

These projects help:

  • Support EPA and DEQ requirements by demonstrating pollutant reductions.
  • Support the restoration of the Lynnhaven River and the Chesapeake Bay.
  • Improve local water quality.
  • Implement programs and construct stormwater management facilities to meet the City’s pollution budgets and waste load allocations set by the DEQ.
  • Reduce pollutants discharged to the “maximum extent practicable.”

Projects and evaluations may include some of these activities:

  • Design and construction of water quality improvements projects to improve local water quality and to support implementation of total maximum daily load (TMDL) action plans.
  • Update and implement TMDL Action Plans and measure progress in achievement of the required pollutant load reductions.
  • Reduce nutrients, sediment, and bacteria from stormwater discharge.
  • Installation of pretreatment forebays (adding berms within a lake to slow down stormwater as it flows into a lake and capture sediment in the forebay).
  • Establishment of wetland areas (these help to remove nutrients by using them for plant growth).
  • Installation of aeration systems (improves oxygen levels to support aquatic life and minimize algae growth).
  • Installation of manufactured treatment devices underground (which can remove sediments and nutrients from stormwater in pipes).
  • Limited dredging and bank stabilization.
  • Improvements and educational opportunities for residents and visitors.
  • Compliance tracking and reporting, inspections and monitoring, adaptive management, strategic planning, engineering studies, public outreach, and education.

Current project and watershed evaluation information can be found using the links in the sidebar.

Completed Projects

  • Aragona water quality improvement
  • Bow Creek wet pond
  • City Hall water quality improvement
  • Drake Court water quality improvement
  • Mill Dam Creek stream restoration
  • Southern Boulevard wet pond

A complete list of all projects and their phase of development is included in the MS4 Permit Annual Report.

  • 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 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