01/08/2026
FYI
Jaime Williams
Dear elected and community partners,
I wanted to let you know that DEP recently sent letters to property owners in MS4 (separated sewer) areas to inform them that connecting gutters directly to the City’s sanitary sewer system is illegal and should be corrected. Sanitary sewers in separately sewered areas are much smaller than in combined areas, and cannot handle an influx of stormwater, which can cause sewer backups and street flooding. Our chief goal with these letters is to inform and educate. We hope homeowners will take the necessary steps to disconnect their gutters if they are connected directly to the sewer system.
Here is more info on our website: https://www.nyc.gov/site/dep/whats-new/downspout-disconnection.page # (https://www.nyc.gov/site/dep/whats-new/downspout-disconnection.page)
…“They are intended mainly for informational purposes, and the beneficiaries of these changes will mainly be the homeowners. Anyone who regularly experiences sewer backups, flooding, etc., will benefit from changing this to their own home. Our impetus for doing this was because we see that so many sewer backups are caused by this.
“I am sorry the letters are clearly causing confusion, but hopefully this added detail is helpful.”
Drisana Hughes
Broo
klyn Borough Commissioner
NYC Department of Environmental Protection
It is mandatory for homeowners to ensure their downspouts (rain gutters) are disconnected from the City’s sanitary sewer system. These connections are not allowed under New York City’s Rules because they can overwhelm the sewer with rainwater and cause sewer back-ups in basements and flooding in...
