Polluted stormwater runoff is the number one cause of poor water quality in streams and rivers in Northern Virginia. When it rains, the water runs off streets, driveways, yards and parking lots and picks up pesticides, grass clippings, fertilizer, bacteria, and oil. All of this pollution enters the storm drains on the street and is discharged directly to a stream. The runoff is not filtered or sent to a wastewater treatment facility.
To reduce the impacts of stormwater pollution, the Northern Virginia Clean Water Partners came together to change peoples’ behavior through a public education campaign.
About the Partnership
The Northern Virginia Clean Water Partners is composed of a group of local governments, drinking water and sanitation authorities, and businesses that share the common goals to keep Northern Virginia residents healthy and safe by reducing the amount of pollution from stormwater runoff that reaches local creeks and rivers, and empower individuals to take action to reduce pollution.
To meet these goals, the Partners work together to:
- • Identify high priority water quality issues for the region;
- • Identify the target audience(s) for outreach;
- • Educate the region’s residents on simple ways to reduce pollution around their homes;
- • Monitor changes in behavior through surveys and other data collection techniques; and
- • Pilot new cost-effective opportunities for public outreach and education.
Membership is voluntary and each member makes an annual contribution to fund the program. By working together the partners are able to leverage their funds to develop and place bilingual educational products with common messages and themes, thereby extending the campaign’s reach.
Only Rain Down the Storm Drain is the motto of the partnership.
The 2018 campaign helped to satisfy MS4 (Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System) Phase I and Phase II permit requirements for stormwater education and documenting changes in behavior. To view the FY2018 Summary please click here.
For more information visit www.onlyrain.org