Does city law prevent hooking up downspouts and sump pumps to sanitary sewers?
Yes. Clear water sources such as downspouts and sump pumps cannot be hooked up to sanitary sewers because they steal capacity needed to transport sewage. Sanitary sewers are not large enough to carry stormwater and can overflow from the impacts of just a few of these illegal connections. If your downspouts and sump pumps are connected to the sanitary sewer system, you must disconnect them. What if disconnecting my downspout or sump pump will cause flooding in my neighbor’s yard or the street, and there is no other alternative? Downspouts can provide a source of water for your garden and landscape. In locations where the stormwater causes ponding in your yard or the street, you could install a rain barrel, rain garden, drainage swale or pond. Talk to a home improvement professional for ideas and information that will fit your yard’s size and configuration. There are also good information sources on the Internet. One Web site with links to many on-line resources is http://www.rainscapes.
