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Stormwater Management
What is Stormwater Management?
Stormwater Management is the process of controlling the runoff from precipitation (i.e, rain or snow) that flows off of impervious surfaces like parking lots, driveways, sidewalks, and rooftops. Unchecked stormwater flows from these hard surfaces to streets and gutters, which carry the untreated runoff to nearby receiving waters.
Stormwater runoff does not go to a treatment plant before discharging into the area’s receiving waters, and it can carry pollutants like motor oil, pet waste, fertilizers, pesticides, grass clippings, leaves, litter, trash, debris, and sediment into nearby waterways. All of these items negatively impact the water quality of our rivers, streams, and ponds.
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.
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Cindy Linkenhoker
Stormwater Program ManagerPhone: 540-772-2036
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Stormwater Management
Physical Address
5204 Bernard Drive
Second Floor
Roanoke, VA 24018
Phone: : 540-772-2065Fax: : 540-772-2108
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. Roadside or neighborhood litter is usually bottles, cans, cigarette butts, cups, fast food wrappers or other trash.
Your report will be forwarded to Roanoke County Police or the County's Zoning Code Enforcement Officials depending on the nature of the complaint.
Harmful Effects of Illicit Discharges and Pollution
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.