Stormwater outreach
To facilitate stormwater activities and education, the City of Virginia 
Beach does the following:
- Develops and implements public outreach programs to engage residents and visitors
- Offers many stormwater-related outreach programs and activities for our residents, volunteer groups, students, and teachers to learn about and participate in stormwater programs.
- Works with non-profit organizations, homeowner associations, schools, and businesses to help them reduce runoff and water pollution.
We can all take steps to keep our waterways healthy and help reduce localized flooding. Find out what you can do to help.
Volunteer opportunities
Adopt-a-Drain – Volunteer to stop pollution at the storm drain by clearing debris from around your adopted drain at least six times per year. Storm Drain Marker Program - You and your family or volunteer group can mark storm drains to help raise awareness about protecting storm drains.
Parks and Recreation Adopt-a Programs – You and your family or volunteer group can adopt an area to keep litter-free.
Clean the Bay Day – Organize your team to participate in this one-day marine debris cleanup. Each year, on the first Saturday of June, thousands of Virginians descend on the rivers, streams, and beaches of the Chesapeake Bay watershed to remove litter and debris, thus helping improve water quality in local streams, rivers, and the Bay.
Check out a Litter Kit from Virginia Beach Public Libraries -- If you can't wait for Clean the Bay Day, aren't ready to commit to an Adopt-a-Spot Program, or simply want to do a small cleanup in your neighborhood, consider the Litter Kit Checkout Program through VBPL. You can reserve a kit by searching "Litter Kit" on the Library Catalog. The Kit includes grabbers, a safety vest, and bucket to pick up litter any time.
Partnerships
The City of Virginia Beach participates in regional organizations and partners with non-profit groups with similar missions to improve water quality through public education and grant programs. Some of these partnerships help provide cost-sharing and technical assistance to address natural resource and stormwater concerns on private property.
askHRgreen.org - a public awareness program in partnership with the 16 cities and counties of Hampton Roads and the Hampton Roads Sanitation District administered through the Hampton Roads Planning District Commission
Lynnhaven River NOW – a non-profit organization focused on restoring and protecting the Lynnhaven River and other Virginia Beach watersheds
Elizabeth River Project – a non-profit organization focused on restoring the Elizabeth River
With funding support from the City, Lynnhaven River NOW and Elizabeth River Project offer programs that make voluntary installation of stormwater Best Management Practices (BMPs) more affordable. These organizations offer cost-share programs for residential homes to implement BMPs, such as rain gardens, infiltration trenches, rain barrels, and nutrient managment plans. If you live in the Lynnhaven or Elizabeth River watersheds, contact your respective organization for more information.
Outside the Lynnhaven or Elizabeth River watersheds, consider the Virginia Conservation Assistance Program. This program is administered by the Virginia Soil and Water Conservation District and offers grant funding for BMPs designed to manage stormwater runoff onsite.
Protect our waterways. Report stormwater pollution by calling (757) 385-1470 or email us at vbstormwater@vbgov.com.
