This Just Stupid

$2100 to disconnect your downspout from city sewers???? Go to Home depot and you can pickup the necessary parts for $20. What is the other $2080 for........

Downspouts top city agenda
TheStar.com

Council reconvenes today to debate issues ranging from commercial dog walkers to green parking lots

November 19, 2007
Paul Moloney
CITY HALL BUREAU

As it reconvenes after a tumultuous decision on new taxes, Toronto City Council turns today to more routine issues, including a proposal that would force homeowners to pay to have their downspouts disconnected.

The city has been subsidizing such work at an average cost of about $1,300 per property, but a motion up for debate recommends making tomorrow the last day to register to have the city pay for the work. The plan affects up to 120,000 central-Toronto homeowners who have downspouts still connected to the sewers; they will have three years to disconnect them or face fines.

Toronto Water has been swamped with requests for downspout disconnection since the proposal to cut off the subsidy surfaced three weeks ago, with the waiting list projected to hit about 27,000 by today.

It's expected that 80 per cent of those properties will be feasible for disconnection, which would cost $21.6 million for the work and $3.7 million in administrative costs.

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