Can You Discharge Your Sump Pump To The Street?

Choosing a discharge point for your sump pump can be exhausting. Often, home-owners get lazy and direct their discharge lines to the street. This is not always a problem, but you should first find out if you can discharge your sump pump to the street.

It differs from city to city. Usually, it is allowed, but the pipe must be disconnected from November 1st to April 1st, so the water won’t freeze on the street. Your discharge point must be far enough from an adjacent property. It’s best to check with your local Public Works Department on what the specific laws are in your jurisdiction, as they sometimes differ.

Don’t lose hope yet. Every problem has a solution. Research is a must when choosing a drainage point for your sump pump, and your main concern should be not to cause problems to your neighbors.

The problem with discharging to the street

The biggest problem for your sump pump discharging to the street is safety hazards. If your sump pump is discharging to the street, water on the curb is expected. The water may freeze and be a safety hazard for kids and elders. Also, the water may cause problems for the adjacent property.

For this reason, your local Department of Public Works has set rules regarding the discharging of sump pumps for you to follow. Usually, you can find the rules on your PWD website, but if you can’t you must visit your PWD.

Most often, you can discharge your sump pump to the street at a certain time period, from November 1st to April 1st. During the prohibited time period, you must disconnect your discharge line from the street. Cutting your discharge lines directly into the curb line is prohibited. Also, you must direct the water more than 5 feet away from an adjacent property.

Make sure that everything is according to the Department of Public Works’ rules. If you cause damage to the adjacent property or the city’s property, you’re held to cover the charges for repairing.

Sewer and storm lines

Cities that allow sump pump discharge to the street, expect the water to flow to the storm sewer. This is the best solution, except if the storm and sewage lines aren’t connected. If the storm and sewage lines are connected that means that the city has to spend more money on sewage. If the storm sewage lines run close to your property, you are in luck. The city may agree to connect your discharge line directly to the storm lines. If the street and storm lines are not a viable option for you, you must direct your sump pump to your yard.

Right-of-Way work permit

As I said, if you are allowed to discharge your sump pump to the street, that means that the street is in the public storm sewer system right of way. When the street is a discharge point for your sump pump, you must get a Right-of-Way work permit. You can get this permit from the Department of Public Works. This permit allows you to discharge to the storm sewer structure, but it also restricts you from some things. Your discharge lines must be smaller than 4 inches in diameter. The drainage line must remain in the right of way, and you are responsible for system maintenance. If connecting to the storm sewer structure is not an option for you, the department may agree to connect your discharge lines to the storm sewer lines. This all may sound complicated, but if you get your permit, the PWD will explain everything.

Why discharge to street if that is an option?

After reading this, you may think that discharging to the street is unnecessary and a lot of work:

Why pay for the permit and the inspector, when you can discharge in your own yard?

If you think that the discharge won’t cause anybody problems because it is in your yard, you could be wrong. The first and worst problem that may occur is water in the foundation of your house. This will cause big structural damages.

Your neighbors are not safe from the water either, especially if you both use your yards as a discharge point. You may think that your yard is dry and will soak up the water fast, but your neighbor may be discharging water in your yard for 5 years. Waterflow is unpredictable, you simply don’t know where the water will end up. That is why discharging your sump pump to the storm sewer structure is the best way to go. You know where the water will end up, and your city knows it too.

That is everything you need to know about discharging your sump pump to the street. If you have doubts about something or if you are unsure, check with PWD. I can’t stress this enough, don’t take action without PWD approval!

Related questions

Can you discharge your sump pump to a sanitary sewer?

Definitely not. Discharge water is dirty water, a sanitary sewer has clear water. They should never mix; it is a health hazard. Even if it’s possible, it costs the city too much money. Also, the treatment system can get overwhelmed during heavy rain.

Do I need a city inspector when connecting the drainage lines to the storm sewer structure?

No, a city inspector is not required for storm sewer structure. However, you will need a city inspector if you are connecting your drainage line directly to the storm sewer line.

What to do if the previous owner of the house discharged his sump pump to the street?

First, you need to check if he had the permit. If he has the permit and everything is fine, leave it as it is, unless you have a better solution. If the previous owner caused any damage to a neighbor’s property or the city’s property, you don’t need to pay for the damage. Law states that he is responsible.