Illegal Connections

To control the costs of treating sewage, the city has implemented an inflow and infiltration program. The object of this program is to minimize the amount of rain runoff and ground water that gets into the sanitary sewer system and has to be treated as if it is wastewater. The City, as part of this effort, prohibits property owners from connecting the following to a public sanitary sewer:

• Roof downspouts
• Exterior or interior foundation drains
• Areaway drains
• Building floor drains
• Basement sump pumps (pumping ground water)
• Other sources of surface runoff or ground water

Additionally, no person shall remove a sewer cleanout cap, vent waste pipe, or fixture for the purposes of allowing surface or groundwater into the public sanitary sewer system. Any exceptions to this rule must be authorized by the Director of Public Works.