The Ripple Effect: Adopt-a-Drain Reduces Pollution Through Resident Support

With the recent storms, water pollution has become a stronger concern in Virginia Beach. Each time it rains, pollutants such as fertilizers, lawn chemicals, and pet waste wash into the City’s 40,000 storm drains. This trash and debris then flow into local waterways and can contribute to localized flooding caused by blockages or heavy rainfall.

The Adopt-a-Drain program is here to help by involving Virginia Beach residents in protecting local waterways.  

Adopt-a-Drain Program

The Adopt-a-Drain program encourages residents to take an active role in keeping storm drains clear and reducing water pollution in their community by adopting a storm drain. 

Virginia Beach Public Works maintains all 40,000 storm drains in the City, inspecting them and responding to maintenance needs. With such a large system, it takes significant time and resources to check every drain regularly. 

Virginia Beach is also home to more than 350 miles of rivers, 990 acres of lakes and 49 square miles of estuaries that flow into the Chesapeake Bay, southern rivers and the Atlantic Ocean. Anything that enters a storm drain travels directly to these waterways. 

By keeping your adopted drain clear, you’re helping Public Works protect local waterways and reduce water pollution throughout the community. 

Adopting a Drain

Signing up is easy and takes just a few minutes through the City’s online system. Once you pick a drain near you, you can give it a name and begin caring for it right away. 

Residents who choose to include their address with the adoption are also eligible for a free welcome kit, complete with a window cling and an adoption certificate. 

After adopting a drain, it’s the resident’s responsibility to clear debris around the drain at least six times a year. This is especially important before predicted rainfall, when loose debris can wash into the drain.  

Residents are responsible for a few simple maintenance tasks: 

• Sweeping or raking leaves, dirt and other material from around the drain
• Sorting what’s collected into the trash, recycling bin or clear plastic bags for yard-waste pickup  

Safety first

It is important to always remember that safety is the top priority. Residents should never raise or remove the storm drain covers and should not reach into or enter the drain at any time.  

If you notice that your adopted drain is clogged or damaged, contact the City immediately by calling 311 or emailing PWclrks@vbgov.com. 

Marking the Drain

Residents who have adopted a drain also have the option to mark their drain with a watershed-specific medallion as part of Virginia Beach’s Storm Drain Marker program. These markers help increase awareness about how storm drains connect directly to local waterways. Each medallion shows which waterbody the drain flows into, showing residents that anything entering the drain flows directly to our lakes, rivers, the Chesapeake Bay or the ocean. 

Nearly 1,400 storm drains already have been adopted. Sign up to make an impact on water pollution and flooding in your own neighborhood! For more information, visit VirginiaBeach.gov/Adopt-a-Drain. 

• Adopt-a-Drain
• Ripple Effect

The Virginia Beach Flood Protection Program — The Ripple Effect — is a comprehensive 10-year plan to address recurrent flooding in Virginia Beach. In November 2021, Virginia Beach voters overwhelmingly supported a resiliency package for several key flood protection initiatives to include drainage improvements, tide gates, pump stations and flood barriers throughout the city. The projects are led by Public Works with support from a community oversight board for transparency and accountability. Learn more at VirginiaBeach.gov/RippleEffect.