Go Green for St. Patrick's Day—And for Stormwater!

Happy St. Patrick’s Day! Today's the day for wearing green. But you can make green choices every day—especially when it comes to stormwater!

Rainfall may seem harmless, but as it flows over streets, parking lots, and rooftops, it picks up pollutants that wash into our rivers and streams. In some areas, concentrated runoff erodes soil, damages property, and clogs waterways with sediment. Runoff turns waterways into murky dead zones—choking plants, starving fish, and polluting the waters we depend on.

The good news? Whether at home or in the community, we can all take steps to reduce stormwater pollution.

Easy Ways to Protect Stormwater at Home

Small changes can make a big difference. Here are a few simple things you can do to help manage stormwater and protect local waterways:

• Care for Bare Spots – Grass and other vegetation help hold soil in place, reducing erosion. Keep an eye on bare patches in your yard and plant grass or other ground cover to prevent soil from washing away during heavy rains.

• Use Rain Barrels – Collecting rainwater from your roof reduces runoff and provides water for your garden during dry spells.

• Limit Fertilizer and Pesticide Use – Chemicals from lawns and gardens can wash into storm drains. Choosing eco-friendly alternatives helps prevent water pollution.

• Pick Up Pet Waste – Bacteria from pet waste can wash into local waterways, harming aquatic life and water quality.

Robust Stormwater Solutions That Require an Engineered Design

Some stormwater solutions—like permeable pavement and rain gardens—go beyond simple DIY projects. While these approaches are highly effective at reducing runoff and filtering pollutants, they require careful design and proper installation to work as intended. Here are some examples:

• Use Permeable Pavement – Unlike traditional concrete or asphalt, permeable surfaces allow rainwater to soak into the ground, reducing runoff. However, proper design is critical to ensure long-term durability and effectiveness.

• Plant a Rain Garden – A well-designed rain garden collects and absorbs runoff from roofs and driveways, filtering pollutants naturally. The right placement, soil composition, and plant selection are key to making it work properly.

• Remove Impervious Surfaces – Replacing unnecessary pavement with grass, plants, or permeable materials helps reduce runoff and allows rainwater to soak into the ground.

• Incorporate Conservation Landscaping – Using native plants and strategic landscaping techniques minimizes the need for irrigation and fertilizers while improving soil health and stormwater absorption.

• Harvest Rainwater – Installing a rainwater harvesting system, such as rain barrels or cisterns, captures runoff from rooftops for later use in irrigation, reducing demand on local water supplies.

• Install a Green Roof – Vegetated roofs absorb rainwater, reduce runoff, and provide insulation, lowering energy costs and improving air quality, especially in urban areas.

Although these practices involve some cost, the Virginia Conservation Assistance Program (VCAP), administered by local Virginia Soil and Water Conservation Districts, provides financial assistance to help Virginia homeowners, businesses, and community groups implement these types of stormwater solutions by offsetting design and installation costs.

Some localities have their own unique programs—so be sure to check your local Soil & Water Conservation District website first! For example, VCAP covers Rockingham and Page Counties, but the Harrisonburg Conservation Assistance Program (HCAP) covers properties within the City of Harrisonburg.

How Colman Engineering Can Help

This St. Patrick’s Day, let’s not just wear green—let’s engineer green! Colman Engineering specializes in a full range of stormwater management solutions. And we can help you take full advantage of the VCAP (and HCAP) programs.

Go green today! Reach out to our team to get started.