Harrisonburg Conservation Assistance Program (HCAP)

How it works

The Harrisonburg Conservation Assistance Program provides cost-share and technical assistance for voluntary stormwater best management practices inside the City of Harrisonburg. The city and the Shenandoah Valley Soil and Water Conservation District administer the program together. A homeowner starts by requesting a site visit; district staff then confirms eligibility, discusses possible practices, and provides the application at the visit.

What the money covers

The program funds approved stormwater practices that reduce runoff and improve water quality. The official page specifically lists Impervious Surface Removal (ISR) as a covered practice. The page also says designs for Rainwater Harvesting, Dry Swale, Wet Swale, Bioretention, Permeable Pavement, Green Roof, and Proprietary Filtering Device must be prepared by a Virginia Registered Design Professional.

Amounts and matching

HCAP cost-share funds may be combined with other grant or cost-share resources, but total support cannot exceed 100% of total practice costs. The final payment cannot exceed the total installation cost. For Impervious Surface Removal, the cost share rate is 100% with a cap of $15,000. The program also says each practice has its own cap and that all applicants are limited to $30,000 in total cost-share received per program year, per entity.

How to apply

The process is: request a site visit, have staff confirm eligibility, create or obtain a design and bids, submit the plan and estimated cost for review, begin construction, and then receive reimbursement after staff inspection of the installed practice.

Timing and deadlines

The official page does not give a general application deadline. It does say applications are provided during the site visit and that reimbursement happens after installation and inspection.