Northern Virginia Clean Water Partners

  • Polluted and uncontrolled stormwater is the number one cause of poor stream and river quality in Northern Virginia
  • The Northern Virginia Clean Water Partners (CWP) have a shared goal to work together to keep residents healthy and safe by reducing pollution that reaches local creeks and rivers
  • During an annual Only Rain Down the Drain campaign, the Clean Water Partners use advertisements, publications, and a website to inform citizens how they can help
  • Learn more about recent efforts by reading a campaign summary.

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Only Rain Down the Drain!

Regional Stormwater Education Initiative
  • The Northern Virginia Clean Water Partners Only Rain Down the Drain regional stormwater education initiative is crafted by and for Northern Virginia jurisdictions and managed by NVRC
  • The campaign uses cable television ads, website ads,and a website, onlyrain.org, to encourage the public to keep pollutants such as excess fertilizer and used motor oil from flowing into storm drains which lead to the Potomac River and Occoquan Reservoir, our sources of drinking water, and eventually the Chesapeake Bay
  • By participating in the program, local jurisdictions have an unprecedented opportunity to pool local outreach dollars to collectively target pollution-causing behaviors using a multi-media approach for greater impact at less cost and effort
  • Additionally, the strategy provides for community engagement and the production of outreach materials that can be customized and used by each locality
Who are the Partners?
  • The CWP is a partnership of Northern Virginia local governments, schools, independent water and sanitary sewer authorities, businesses, the Northern Virginia Regional Commission, and the Virginia Coastal Zone Management Program
Current partners include:

Fairfax County | Loudoun County | Arlington County | Stafford County | City of Alexandria | Fairfax Water | Loudoun Water | George Mason University | City of Falls Church | Town of Herndon | City of Manassas | City of Manassas Park | City of Fairfax | Town of Vienna | Town of Leesburg | Town of Dumfries | Doody Calls | Northern Virginia Regional Commission | Virginia Coastal Zone Management Program | Prince William County Public Schools | Alexandria Sanitation Authority

Learn More
  • Contact Rebecca Murphy, Coastal Program Manager at NVRC, at 703-642-4625 
  • Visit onlyrain.org for more in-depth information on the issues, good practices, how to get involved by volunteering, and links to related websites