| 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 or submit a complaint using their online form.
To report issues on James Madison University campus, please call 540-568-3174 or email stormwater@jmu.edu.
- What are Illicit Discharges?
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.
- What are Illicit Connections?
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.