Roof Downspout Disconnection

If necessary use needle nosed pliers to crimp the old downspout pipe so it slides into the new elbow.

Roof downspout disconnection. Water is then redirected to flow into a rain barrel or to a lawn or garden where it can soak into the ground. During heavy rain every downspout on your home can send 12 gallons of water a minute to the sewer system which increases the risk of basement backups and sewer overflows. Downspout disconnection is the process of separating roof downspouts from the sewer system and redirecting roof runoff onto pervious surfaces most commonly a lawn. Some downspouts cannot be disconnected.

Downspouts may also be connected to a pipe in the ground that connects directly to the sanitary sewer or storm drain system. Downspout disconnection is the process of disconnecting the downspout from a pipe or the paved area. This reduces the amount of directly connected impervious area in a drainage area. Drill a hole on either side of each fitting and screw in a sheet metal screw to secure the fitting.

This prevents stormwater from directly entering the storm sewer system or flowing across a connected impervious surface such as a driveway that drains to a storm sewer. Use similar downspout material or use adapters to change to plastic pipe.