What does it mean to be publicly maintained?
Publicly maintained stormwater management facilities are those for which the county has direct maintenance responsibility. These facilities can be found on property owned by the county or operated within an easement on land owned by others. Fairfax County is responsible under state and federal stormwater permits for ensuring that the facilities remain in place, are properly operated, and functional. Public facilities are maintained according to county-specific maintenance schedules and guidelines, county ordinances, and any original design specifications that apply to the specific facility.
Public Facility Inventory
There are approximately 2,500 publicly maintained stormwater management facilities in the county's inventory. These consist of approximately 1,450 dry or wet ponds (mostly dry) located in residential areas or on county property; more than 500 green stormwater facilities, with the remaining covering many other facility types. Information on many facility types are provided in the stormwater facility fact sheets. Green stormwater infrastructure and underground detention continue to lead new inventory growth.
Routine Maintenance
Routine maintenance items and frequency vary by facility type.
Public ponds are maintained by the county once a year if maintenance is shared by the local homeowner’s association, twice a year in most other cases, and four times a year for “regional” ponds with drainage areas exceeding 100 acres. This routine maintenance typically includes grass mowing of the dam embankment, basic channel clearing, trash removal, sign installation, and dewatering. The county maintains numerous ponds on private property within residential neighborhoods. In those cases, the landowner is still responsible for performing aesthetic maintenance to include trash pickup, non-hazardous tree removal and grass mowing above the county’s established level of service for routine maintenance.
Most, but not all green stormwater facility types receive routine maintenance four times per year, and include bioretention (e.g., rain gardens), vegetated swales, treebox filters and green roofs. Maintenance includes vegetation trimming, weeding, trash removal and mulching.
Pervious pavement receives maintenance twice per year and includes any combination of manual, vacuum or pressure washer assisted debris and sediment removal.
The remaining facility types within the inventory receive as-needed maintenance based on results from inspections or service requests.
Inspection
Publicly maintained stormwater facilities with routine maintenance schedules are inspected every other year. Regional ponds are inspected annually, as are other facility types that do not have routine maintenance schedules. The purpose of these inspections is to assess and record any visible deficiencies in the stormwater facility that would prevent the facility from functioning as designed. Following the inspection, the inspection results, photos, and any identified maintenance items are compiled to generate a work order for the facility. Work orders generated by inspection are completed by in-house maintenance crews, MSMD contractors or sent out for bid amongst multiple general contractors, depending on the amount and complexity of work involved.
Service Requests
If you notice that a public stormwater management facility does not appear to be functioning properly, please call MSMD at 703-877-2800, TTY 711, or email ContactMSMD@fairfaxcounty.gov to report the specific problems. You may also submit a maintenance request form online. When submitting a service request, please include the facility identification number usually found on the pond sign for publicly maintained facilities. Having the ID number helps employees speed up their response.
Non-Routine Maintenance
Non-routine maintenance is conducted on an as-needed basis following either a facility inspection or a service request. This work may include removal of trees or invasive vegetation, major sediment removal, repairs to concrete structures or pipes, or dam embankment repairs. Non-routine maintenance work is prioritized and implemented to address urgent needs and manage resources efficiently. Landowners affected by non-routine maintenance activities are notified via mail or other available means prior to initiation of these activities.