In order to address localized flooding and drainage issues, the Stormwater Management Division targets neighborhoods for spot improvement projects. These are small capital projects designed to support the increased functionality of the City’s storm sewer system, which is comprised of hundreds of miles of underground pipes, culverts, inlets, grates, manholes and “flap gates” or “check valves.”

Spot improvement projects follow a prescribed order of project management: (1) Investigation, (2) Planning, (3) Design, and (4) Construction/Implementation. Design does include conceptual design and/or preliminary design considerations. These projects differ from large CIP capacity projects in that they typically do not require the additional steps of formal procurement for design and construction as a majority of the work is done in-house and using on-call contractors, so these Spot improvement projects can be delivered faster. The City's Public Works Services division handles small maintenance and repair projects on public property.

Spot Improvement projects are one asset under the Flood Action Alexandria program, which tackles flooding problems in a comprehensive manner. Projects are identified based on neighborhood site visits and data collected through the Alex311 service request system.

City engineers and on-call contractors conduct most work for spot improvement projects, so they can be completed faster than a typical capacity project that requires additional steps for formal procurement for design and construction. The City’s Public Works Services division handles small maintenance and repair projects on public property.

Spot Improvement Projects are supported through the Capital Improvement Program and Stormwater Utility Fee.

With increased frequency of severe storms, City Council voted to increase the Stormwater Utility Fee to provide additional capital and operating resources to accelerate spot improvement projects.