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Stormwater Pollution Prevention
Make a Difference
Chesterfield residents and businesses can make a positive impact protecting our waterways and preventing stormwater pollution by using best management practices at home and at work. Residents and businesses can also participate in our volunteer programs.
At-Home Best Management Practices
Household Hazardous Waste and Litter
Household products that we use every day can accumulate over time and may no longer be useful. Some of them can be hazardous and cannot be disposed of in your household trash. These include oil-based paints, pesticides, herbicides, solvents, cleaners, automotive fluids and batteries. These materials need to be disposed of properly to protect your health and property and the environment.
Such materials cannot poured on the ground where rain can cause them to runoff to waterways and they can never be poured into storm drains. Chesterfield County offers free disposal services for a variety of household hazardous wastes at its convenience centers.
View more information in the managing household hazardous waste video:
View more information in the managing litter video:
Pet Waste
An average size dog dropping can contain 3 billion coliform bacteria! Pet waste carried by stormwater runoff is a major source of bacteria impairments in local waterways and can makes creeks and rivers unsafe for fishing and recreation.
- Bag your pet's waste and put it in the trash. When visiting local parks, look for pet waste stations that provide disposable bags.
- Pet waste can be composted and used to fertilize non-edible plants in your garden.
- Pet waste is different from cattle manure. Uncomposted dog waste left on a lawn can kill grass because of its high acid content and can run off when it rains.
Rain Barrel Workshops
Every spring Environmental Engineering collaborates with numerous community partners, including Chesterfield Cooperative Extension and James River Soil and Water Conservation District, to offer a popular series of rain barrel workshops. Workshop participants learn about the benefits of rain barrels and will construct their own rain barrel to take home. This is a very popular series, so, once dates are announced, early registration is suggested.
The Environmental Outreach Coordinator explains how to build a rain barrel in the Virginia This Morning video.
Contact
Email the Environmental Outreach Coordinator for the latest workshop information.
Rain Gardens
Environmental Engineering encourage residents to protect waterways by employing conservation practices at home. A rain garden is like other flower gardens with one important difference – it collects and treats rain water so it will not become polluted runoff. Most residential rain gardens can be created as a weekend project. Native plants require little maintenance and provide year-round color and habitat for wildlife such as song birds and butterflies.
Workshops
We partner with Chesterfield County Public Library and Chesterfield Cooperative Extension to offer rain garden workshops. Attendees lean about design and installation and create demonstration gardens at each location. View the rain garden design and installation guide (PDF).
Contact
Email the Environmental Outreach Coordinator for more information.
Virginia Conservation Assistance
We encourage residents to protect Chesterfield County’s water resources by employing conservation practices at home. Practices such as conservation landscaping and permeable pavers reduce stormwater runoff that enters storm drains and natural waterways.
The Virginia Conservation Assistance Program (VCAP) is an urban cost-share program that provides financial incentives and technical and educational assistance to property owners installing eligible best management practices (BMPs) in Virginia’s Chesapeake Bay Watershed. Many practices are eligible for 75% cost share and some practices are eligible for a flat rate incentive. Download the VCAP manual (PDF) for guidance on building stormwater BMPs.
Contact
Visit the James River Soil and Water Conservation District for more information and to apply for assistance.
Washing Cars
Vehicle wash water contains detergents, oils, grease and grime that is harmful to local waterways. Wash water that enters storm drains goes straight to the nearest creek or pond and harms wildlife.
- Take your car to a commercial car wash where water is sent to the sanitary sewer.
- Avoid washing cars on paved surfaces where water runs off to storm drains. Wash your car on the grass so the water will soak into the ground.
- Use biodegradable, phosphate free detergents.
- Wipe away brake dust with a rag before washing your car.
Charity Car Washes
Groups holding charity car washes can borrow a free, environmentally friendly kit that diverts wash water to the grass. Email the environmental outreach coordinator for more information.
Yard and Lawn Care
Day-to-day yard maintenance can have an adverse impact on nearby waterways if not done with care. Fertilizers and chemicals can run off during rain and diminish water quality and degrade habitat. Yard debris, leaves and grass clippings can cause blockages and flooding in storm sewers and creeks and reduce water quality. View the Don't Feed the Lake Brochure (PDF).
Lawn Care Tips
- Have your soil tested to determine the pH and nutrient needs of your lawn. Soil test kits are available at Chesterfield County Public Library and Chesterfield Cooperative Extension.
- Use only the type and amount of fertilizer recommended by your soil test results. Avoid fertilizing just before or during rain events.
- Mow your grass to a height of 2 to 3 inches to promote deep root growth and drought tolerance. Leave clippings on the lawn to acts as a natural fertilizer.
View the video about fertilizer management:
Pesticides and Herbicides
- Identify the pest or plant disease before applying chemicals. Contact the Chesterfield Cooperative Extension office for help.
- Use only the pesticide or herbicide that is right for the problem and use the least toxic product possible.
- Read the label and follow directions completely.
- Do not apply herbicides or pesticides just before or during a rain event.
- Do not store herbicides or pesticides outdoors and dispose of unused products at the household hazardous waste section of the county’s convenience centers.
Yard Debris and Leaves
Do not dump yard debris and leaves into the storm sewer or creek. Blockages and flooding can occur and decaying organic matter can impact water quality. Yard waste can be taken to the county’s convenience centers.
View the video about managing yard waste:
Businesses Best Management Practices
Automotive Repair and Food Service Establishments
We encourage restaurants and automotive repair establishments employees to conduct business in a manner that can prevent pollution from entering the storm sewer system. Stormwater runoff carries pollutants to storm drains that discharge to natural waterways without treatment, which may cause public health risks and degrade the environment.
Pollutants
Automotive repair establishment pollutants
- Antifreeze
- Battery Acid
- Detergents
- Fuel
- Metals
- Motor oil
- Paint
- Solvents
Food service establishment pollutants
- Cooking Oil
- Degreasers
- Detergents
- Disinfectants
- Food Scraps
- Grease
- Mop Water
- Trash
All of these pollutants can have an adverse impact on water quality in streams, lakes and rivers and degrade habitat for wildlife. We have developed stormwater pollution prevention and spill response plans for automotive repair and food service establishments that describe simple ways to prevent pollutants from entering into storm sewers or waterways.
Request Pollution Prevention Plans
Request a pollution prevention plan by emailing the environmental outreach coordinator.
Commercial Pesticide Application
Chesterfield County urges all commercial and private applicators of restricted-use pesticides to obtain and maintain certifications required by the Virginia Pesticide Control Act.
Virginia Tech provides pesticide safety information, training and educational resources for pesticide applicators. Visit the Virginia Tech Pesticide Program website for training manuals and online classes.
The Virginia Cooperative Extension publishes pest management guides for commercial and private pesticide applicators annually. Visit the Virginia Cooperative Extension website to order your own copy.
Golf Course Resources
We encourage golf course operators to use fertilizers, pesticides and other chemicals in a manner that limits the pollution that can be caused by such products. Stormwater runoff carries these pollutants to storm drains and waterways which can lead to public health risks and habitat damage.
The following resources can help golf course operators manage their facilities in an environmentally sensitive manner:
Virginia Conservation Assistance
We encourage businesses to protect Chesterfield County’s water resources by employing conservation practices. Practices such as conservation landscaping and permeable pavers reduce stormwater runoff that enters storm drains and natural waterways.
The Virginia Conservation Assistance Program (VCAP) is an urban cost-share program that provides financial incentives and technical and educational assistance to property owners installing eligible best management practices (BMPs) in Virginia’s Chesapeake Bay Watershed. Many practices are eligible for 75% cost share and some practices are eligible for a flat rate incentive. Download the VCAP manual (PDF) for guidance on building stormwater BMPs.
Contact
Visit the James River Soil and Water Conservation District for more information and to apply for assistance.
Volunteer Opportunities
Chesterfield WaterTrends
Chesterfield WaterTrends is Chesterfield County’s official citizen water monitoring program. Volunteers perform a variety of water quality tests that gauge the overall health of the county’s waterways. View the program video.
Volunteer Training
Volunteers learn to monitor a basic suite of parameters that include:
- Dissolved Oxygen
- pH
- Temperature
- Turbidity
Volunteers may also conduct bacterial monitoring. Volunteers receive an Orientation and Training Manual and monitoring equipment at no charge.
Equipment and Data Field Sheets
To obtain reagent refills and replacement equipment, please email Chesterfield WaterTrends.
Contact
Email the environmental outreach coordinator for more information.
Storm Drain Marking
Do you know what happens to stormwater after it goes down the storm drain? It goes straight to the nearest creek! Encourage residents not to pollute by applying storm drain markers in neighborhoods.
These markers display the message "No Dumping" and identify the local creek that receives the runoff. This short-term project can be accomplished on your own schedule. Environmental Engineering provides all the maps, signs and supplies to complete the project.
Contact
Email the Environmental Outreach Coordinator for more information.