Your Downspout Connection May Be Illegal, City Says

By Kevin McQuaid Jr.

Sunday September 9th, 2012

Posted at 10:30am

Did you know that in a certain part of Windsor it is illegal to have your eaves-trough’s downspout connected to the City’s sewer system?

The City of Windsor recently released a new video on their Downspout Disconnection Program and are reminding citizens that in a section of South Walkerville it is mandatory to have your downspouts disconnected.

Under a by-law that was passed in 2008, if you live in parts of South Walkerville (described below) it is mandatory to have your downspout disconnected (to a water barrel for example):

South of Tecumseh Road East
North of the Canadian Pacific Railway
East of Howard Avenue
West of Walker Road

The City of Windsor offers a free downspout disconnection service to all city residents. Call the Field Services division at (519) 945-4375, and a city inspector will come out to discuss the disconnection work that will occur at your home.

The City of Windsor encourages all home owners to disconnect their downspouts as despite its initial cleanliness, storm water from roofs is a major contributor to the pollution of Windsor’s watercourses. Clean water goes down the drain where it becomes contaminated by wastewater or ground sediments. Ultimately, this storm water flows untreated into the Detroit River.

Downspout disconnection also helps relieve pressure on the system during major storms when the sewers cant keep up. This usually leads to basement flooding.

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Just another reader

unfortunately, this creates leaking basement walls on houses, costing homeowners thousands of dollars while still paying a sewer surcharge on their bills – go figure!!
- Anon
  
  I’m pretty sure even if you had no eaves-trough, you’d still have to pay a sewer surcharge. That’s for, I duno, your toilets and sinks and shower? I don’t think you can be charged on rainfall, though I guess I’ve seen worse. And I’ve seen people who collect water in barrels, and then hook up their garden hose to that to do their watering. So really, instead of having it sit by your house and leak into the foundation, it’s free water, no sewer surcharge, and no leaky basement. Sounds like win-win to me.
- Anon
  
  I’m pretty sure even if you had no eaves-trough, you’d still have to pay a sewer surcharge. That’s for, I duno, your toilets and sinks and shower? I don’t think you can be charged on rainfall, though I guess I’ve seen worse. And I’ve seen people who collect water in barrels, and then hook up their garden hose to that to do their watering. So really, instead of having it sit by your house and leak into the foundation, it’s free water, no sewer surcharge, and no leaky basement. Sounds like win-win to me.
Chillin

I keep mine connected anyway. Looks cleaner.
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=754630273 Michael Mayea

I’d like to see some science back this article up..

Is there something different about the roof types in this area?
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=754630273 Michael Mayea

Are their different roof types in that area? Maybe shingles containing a toxic material? I’d like to see some science and facts behind this decision.

The same laws are in reverse inside some US States, where it is forbidden to collect rainwater into a barrel out of fear of running the water table dry.

Kinda of mind boggling either way the law goes.
Loni LGM

LGM Construction Will be more than happy to move move your down spouts at a low cost. Give me a call (519) 890-0647.
Ebfathers

The City of Windsor is who made everyone hook up to the storm sewers in the first place many years ago. Then they reversed it in our area when we all complained about the water backup into the basements because of the undersized storm sewers in our area. To stop water going into the foundation you put an extension on the downspout and run it out into the yard or best idea is into a barrel and use the free water for the garden or the lawn