Mandatory Downspout Disconnection
Get ready to disconnect your downspouts
Disconnecting your home’s or building’s downspouts is mandatory across the City of Toronto. This is an important step in reducing the risk of basement flooding and releasing polluted rainwater into our local waterways.
By taking action to comply with the Sewers Bylaw (Chapter 681 of the Toronto Municipal Code), you are taking steps to protect people’s homes and help improve water quality. Before disconnecting, there are many options to consider − from a simple disconnection that discharges water directly onto your lawn to a more complex situation requiring eavestroughs to be replaced and new downspouts added.
Take a look around your neighbourhood to see what others have done. Each property is different, and downspout disconnection is not always possible.