What exactly is “stormwater?”

Stormwater is rainwater or melted snow that runs off streets, lawns, and other land surfaces. When stormwater is absorbed into soil, pollutants are filtered out and the water flows into streams and rivers or eventually replenishes aquifers.

As stormwater runs off impervious surfaces, like pavement and roofs, the volume and velocity of the flow increases. This is called stormwater runoff. 

Because stormwater runoff can flow rapidly into storm drains, sewer systems, and drainage ditches, it causes the following problems, especially during heavy rain events:

Flash Flooding – fast moving stormwater runoff that overloads storm drains and drainage areas causing temporary flooding of roads and low-lying areas.  
 
Erosion – fast moving stormwater erodes stream banks causing large amounts of soil to fill stream beds, destroying fish and amphibian’s habitat and killing insect larvae that fish rely on for food.   

Sedimentation – sediment from construction projects or other exposed topsoil is carried off into streets and waterways by stormwater runoff.

Pollution – stormwater runoff picks up pollutants such as fertilizer, heavy metals, oil from vehicles, fecal coliform from animal waste, and sediment when it erodes the land.  The polluted stormwater runoff is called non-point source pollution when it enters our streams, rivers, lakes, reservoirs, and bays. 

Non-point sources pollution comes from many diffuse sources, not a single "point" source. Non-point source pollution is the leading cause of water quality deterioration in Charles County’s streams, rivers, and the Chesapeake Bay.  Some common sources of non-point source pollution are:

• Pesticides/Fertilizers - carried away from residential yards, gardens, golf courses, and agricultural areas.

• Automotive - Improperly disposed of or stored oil and car wash residues are carried into waterways via storm drains.

• Litter –Trash left on roads and sidewalks is carried into waterways and clogs storm drains.

• Pet Waste – Un-scooped pet waste enters waterways which increases bacterial coliform levels.

• Salt – Used to treat roads during winter, salt washes into freshwater streams and aquifers increasing their salinity.

What can I do to improve stormwater quality?

You can learn how you can Prevent Stormwater Pollution or learn more about waterway illicit discharge pollution by visiting their web pages.

What is the Town of Leesburg doing to improve stormwater quality?

The Town of Leesburg participates in the Virginia Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (VPDES) Permit Program to lawfully discharge stormwater into the waters of the Commonwealth of Virginia. In doing so, the town accepts responsibility for the water being discharged into the system. The goal of the stormwater management program is to develop and maintain a program that protects water quality and resources to the benefit of all citizens in the community.

Public and institution involvement is critical in the success of such a program. Each citizen and organization can contribute to this effort, benefiting and protecting the environment and our natural resources.  As such, the Town is a proud member of the Northern Virginia Clean Water Partners, a coalition of local government agencies working together to promote stormwater pollution prevention and environmental stewardship.

The Town seeks to educate and inform citizens and organizations of their impact on the overall quality of the water in the Town. In order to comply with the VPDES Permit Program Requirements, the Town must maintain a stormwater management program that addresses the following 6 areas:

• Public Education and Outreach
• Public Participation/Involvement
• Illicit Discharge Detection/Elimination
• Construction Site Runoff Control
• Post-Construction Runoff Control
• Pollution Prevention/Good Housekeeping (such as Street Sweeping and Storm Sewer Maintenance and Repair)