The Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) began notifying people across the city in January that homeowners must inspect their exterior downspouts and gutters to ensure that they are not leading directly into the sewers. The department addressed the letters to individual homeowners, though they were quickly shared on social media, causing confusion among local residents about whether or not they were required to do the same.
On Jan. 29, Council Member Phil Wong met with the DEP and other officials via Zoom to clarify the requirement, and made note that well over 90% of District 30 residents are not included with the latest enforcement operation as a majority of homes are connected to combined sewers, designed for both waste- and storm-water, meaning no changes need to be made.
