Stormwater Management

What is Stormwater Management?

Stormwater Management is the process of controlling the runoff from precipitation (i.e, rain or snow) that primarily flows off of impervious surfaces like parking lots, driveways, sidewalks, and roof tops. Unchecked stormwater flows from these hard surfaces to streets and gutters, which carry the untreated runoff to nearby receiving waters.

Because stormwater runoff does not go to a treatment plant before discharging into the area's receiving waters, it transports pollutants that collect on the above-mentioned hard surfaces, like motor oil, litter, trash, debris, and sediment; it also picks up other materials that come from vegetated areas like pet waste, lawn fertilizers, pesticides, grass clippings, and leaves; all of these items can negatively impact the water quality of the area's receiving waters, including the Roanoke River.

Techniques to manage stormwater runoff include the use of vegetation and mulch to protect bare soil areas from erosion along with the use of Best Management Practices (BMPs) that are designed to slow velocity, reduce volume, and limit the rate of runoff in an effort to reduce the quantity and improve the quality of stormwater runoff before it reaches the receiving waters.

Report Illicit Discharges

If you see someone placing waste of any kind into the storm drainage system, which is comprised of storm drainage inlets, roadside ditches, curb and gutter, and underground drainage pipes, please report the activity to the County by clicking on the link below: Report Illicit Stormwater Discharges

If possible, please take pictures of the illicit discharge activity when it is occurring and email the pictures to the County's Stormwater Program Manager.

County staff will investigate the incident and attempt to resolve the issue.

Litter

See the Report Littering form if the illicit discharge you wish to report is litter: 

  • Bottles
  • Cans
  • Cigarette Butts
  • Cups
  • Fast Food Wrappers
  • Etc.

Report Litter Opens in new window           

Harmful Effects of Illicit Discharges

To learn more about the harmful effects of illicit discharges on the area's receiving waters, please see the County's various public education videos, entitled Illicit Discharge, Detection and Elimination - A Grate Concern. Learn more about Illicit Stormwater Discharges with our video series.