Water Resources and Infrastructure

Protect. Restore. Enhance.

Protecting our water, infrastructure, and our trees is an important job. We move, clean, and manage water to ensure access to clean drinking water and healthy streams. Our forests help enhance our community by providing habitat for wildlife, clean air, and protecting our stream banks. The County relies on our infrastructure to safely manage stormwater, wastewater, and our urban forest. WRI programs aim to protect and restore our vital natural resources which serve the community and safeguard the environment and public health.

If you are experiencing a life-threatening emergency, call 911.

Get Help Now! - Call our 24-Hour Customer Communications Center (CCC): 703-323-1211 | TTY 711.

For non-emergency problems, visit Report a Problem.

Visit Report a Problem

Stormwater

The Stormwater Management Program protects water quality in over 800 miles of streams by planning, building and maintaining infrastructure, assessing stream health, preventing pollution, and enforcing regulations. Stormwater is not cleaned when it goes into a storm drain. Learn how Fairfax County continues to protect and restore our stream valleys.

Trees

Planting trees in our yards, parks, and along our streams can greatly improve water quality. In Fairfax County, more than 50% of the land is covered by tree canopy, which filters stormwater before it enters our watershed streams and conveyance systems. Learn how Fairfax County raises awareness of the essential role of trees to our watershed.

Wastewater

Our Wastewater Management Program protects public health and water quality through the collection and treatment of wastewater in one of the nation’s largest sanitary sewer systems.

Water's Journey

Drinking Water - Wastewater - Stormwater

Clean water is our most important resource. To keep water clean for future generations, we need to know where it comes from, how we use it, and where it goes after it leaves our homes and businesses. Find out how drinking water, wastewater and stormwater runoff are managed by separate systems in Fairfax County.

Visit Water's Journey

Water Resources News

Maps and Publications

MS4 Program Plan and Annual Report

Educational Resources

Students in water education program

Explore the educational opportunities for classroom and community experiences in stormwater, urban and community forestry, and wastewater management.

Exciting Changes Within Public Works

Fairfax County relies on the newly named Water Resources Infrastructure to safely manage stormwater, wastewater, and our urban forest. Their programs protect and restore our vital natural resources, serve the community, and safeguard the environment and public health. Their new facility (opening in 2026) will house them all under one roof.

Watch the Channel 16 Video

Volunteering

Public Works strives to protect and enhance the natural environment, but we can’t do it alone. There are numerous opportunities for volunteers who want to help keep their streets and streams clean and their natural areas green. Visit our partners’ websites to find ways you can make a positive impact in your community. Working together, we can ensure Fairfax County remains a clean, safe, and healthy place to live, work, and play.
Visit Volunteering


Sewer diagram
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You flush. It goes away. But have you ever wondered where it goes—and how it gets there?
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