Use the table below to report pollution issues within the City of Harrisonburg.
| To Report... | Call... | At... |
| A large spill or emergency situation | Harrisonburg Fire Department or Police | 9-1-1 |
| Water pollution, illicit discharges and illicit connections | Harrisonburg Public Works | 540-434-5928, visit Report Water Pollution, or email report-pollution@harrisonburgva.gov |
| Construction issues, and erosion and sediment control problems | Harrisonburg Community Development Department | 540-432-7700, or visit Site Development or Stormwater Management Program |
| Leaking sanitary sewer lines, manholes, and other sanitary sewer issues | Harrisonburg Public Utilities (Water/Sewer) | 540-434-9959, or visit Contact Public Utilities |
| Trash and Solid Waste issues | Harrisonburg Public Works | 540-434-5928, visit Trash and Recycling, file a Junk, Trash & Debris complaint or email publicworks@harrisonburgva.gov |
| Unsure who to call? | Police Department's non-emergency number | 540-434-4436 |
To report issues outside the City of Harrisonburg, please contact the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality.
What are illicit discharges and illicit connections?
An illicit discharge is an unlawful act of disposing dumping, spilling, emitting, or other discharge of any substance other than stormwater into the storm drain system; such as catch basins, yard inlet, or lakes and streams. Examples of illicit discharges:
- Paint being poured into or near a storm structure
- Changing oil or antifreeze over or near a storm structure
- Discarding yard waste, e.g. leaves and brush, in or near a storm structure
- Draining chlorinated swimming pool water in or near a storm structure
- Water from a washing machine emptying in or near a storm structure.
An illicit connection is an unlawful connection which allows the discharge of non-stormwater to the storm drain system or lakes and streams via pipe or other direct connection. Examples of illicit connections:
- Floor drains going into the storm drain system
- Wash water from laundromats or car washes tying into a storm drain system
- Pipe from a washing machine tying into a storm drain structure
- Sewer service pipe tying into a storm structure or emptying into Blacks Run
City Code Section 7 Chapter 6 "Illicit Discharges and Connections" was adopted by City Council on June 24, 2014.