Storm drains and the Chesapeake Bay

Storm drains are located throughout the Potomac River and Chesapeake Bay watersheds. A watershed is an area of land that drains into a common body of water. Fairfax County is situated in the center of the Bay watershed. What we do in our yards and communities affects the Bay through the storm drainage system.

When it rains, the water running along the gutters in the street vanishes down storm drains. Where does the water go? The water in a storm drain does not go to a wastewater treatment plant like many people assume. This water drains into a local stream, which feeds into a river, and eventually empties into the Bay. Nothing is removed from the water. That means pet wastes, yard debris, fertilizer, motor oil, pesticides and trash all have the potential to flow into the Bay.

Pollution that enters our water resources through the storm drains is called nonpoint source pollution because it comes from all our homes and communities. Nonpoint source pollution is the leading cause of water quality deterioration in the Chesapeake Bay.

What can you do?

NVSWCD oversees a storm drain labeling program. This program has proven to be an effective, low-cost method of educating large segments of the population about water quality problems in our streams, lakes, rivers, and the Bay. The primary objective of each project is to inform the public about the dangers of dumping anything into a storm drain.

NVSWCD is currently recruiting volunteer groups to conduct storm drain education projects. NVSWCD will provide stencils or markers; the group provides the manpower needed to educate the neighborhood and label the storm drains. Groups that may wish to participate include homeowner and civic associations, scout and youth groups, school groups or conservation/environmental groups.

What's involved in a storm drain education project?

Projects have three general components:

1. Organizing the project, including obtaining a permit from the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT), the agency responsible for storm drains in public rights-of-way.
2. Educating the community about nonpoint source pollution. Project leaders can write an article for the HOA newsletter and/or place fliers on doors of homes in the project vicinity to explain the connnection between storm drains and our streams.
3. Labeling the storm drains with the "No Dumping" message. Groups can choose to use pre-printed markers and adhesive (pdf) or stencils and paint to label the storm drains.

NVSWCD will help you every step of the way! We work with interested groups to gain permission for each project from VDOT. In addition, NVSWCD provides supplies and outlines the steps necessary to conduct a project, including informing the community, project preparation and clean-up.

If you are interested in conducting a storm drain education project, please review the storm drain education project guidelines. Then e-mail the program coordinator or call 703-324-1423, TTY 711.

Photo (top right) courtesy of Northern Virginia Regional Commission.