Best Management Practices

Purpose
Post-construction stormwater management is typically accomplished through stormwater Best Management Practices (BMPs). These BMPs include constructed stormwater infiltration systems, bio-retention systems, stormwater detention facilities, or various manufactured systems.

All types of BMPs are designed to mitigate the effects of development by reducing runoff volume and rates while promoting removal of pollutants and improving runoff quality.

These BMPs are critical in achieving greater water quality in accordance with the City of Falls Church Stormwater Management Ordinance and Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) Stormwater Permit.
Best Management Practices
Maintenance Agreement
Regardless of how well designed and constructed these stormwater control measures are, they will not function correctly unless they are properly maintained. As per the Storm Water Detention and BMP Maintenance Agreement governing stormwater control measures at properties, it is the responsibility of the owner(s) to maintain BMPs in good working order while the city's role and responsibility is to assess facilities and their maintenance.

Section 4 of this maintenance agreement provides the City of Falls Church with authority to conduct inspection of BMPs. Accordingly, the City of Falls Church is beginning an assessment program of BMPs to determine the functional state of stormwater control measures and requisite maintenance.
Recommended BMP Maintenance
  • Bioretention
  • Infiltration Trenches
  • Vegetated Filter Strips
  • Detention Ponds

  • Porous Pavement and Permeable Driveways
  • Rain Tanks, Cisterns, and other Manufactured BMPs
Current City-Maintained BMPs
  • Berman Park Rain Garden
  • Crossman Park Rain Garden
  • Lincoln Avenue Rain Garden
  • Lincoln Park Rain Garden
  • Property Yard Cisterns
     
  • Property Yard Filter Tree Box
  • Thomas Jefferson Elementary Cisterns
  • Thomas Jefferson Elementary Rain Gardens
  • Tyson Drive and Buxton Road Rain Garden