Downspout Installation & Discharge · Cambridge
Downspout Installation, Relocation and Extensions in Cambridge
In Cambridge the downspout is not a matter of taste. The property standards by-law says where roof water may not go, and on a tight Galt lot that rules out most of the obvious spots.
The eavestrough collects; the downspout decides. Nearly every overflowing trough is short of outlets, nearly every damp basement corner has a downspout releasing at the foundation, and nearly every neighbour dispute over roof water involves an elbow aimed across the line. Cambridge has written the answer into its by-law, which makes the design brief unusually clear.
What the by-law requires
Section 4.8 of the City's Property Standards By-law 26-021 says no roof drainage, sump pump or other device meant to discharge water may discharge on an entranceway, walkway, stair or sidewalk, or directly onto neighbouring property. Section 4.9 requires every downspout to direct water away from buildings and structures. Section 4.10 requires the yard to be graded so storm water does not pond excessively on your lot or the adjacent one. The City separately asks that downspouts be directed to grass or a rain garden rather than hard surfaces such as the driveway. And the Region of Waterloo's Sewer Use By-law 21-036 prohibits roof water in the sanitary sewer. Put together: away from the wall, onto your own soft ground, off the pavement, not toward the neighbour, and not down a drain.
Placement on Cambridge lots
- Galt and Preston frontages. Many century houses sit a metre or two from the public sidewalk with the front door steps right there. A front downspout cannot discharge onto either, so it is run to the side or round to the back, or carried under the walk in a buried lead to the lawn.
- Narrow side yards. Two old houses two metres apart share one strip of ground. A side downspout there is effectively discharging onto the neighbour, so the water is brought to the rear corners or run along the wall to where the yard opens.
- Hillside lots. Hespeler and parts of Galt climb away from the rivers, and a downspout on the uphill side releases water that runs straight back at the foundation. Those get extended downhill and away, and the grading below them is checked.
- Newer subdivisions. On the builder-graded lots around the edges of all three towns, the swales between houses are the drainage plan, and a downspout should release onto that grading rather than into a low spot.
Outlets, sizes and extensions
A 5-inch trough takes 2-by-3 downspouts; 6-inch takes 3-by-4. A run much over 12 metres (40 feet) wants an outlet at each end. A new outlet can be cut into a sound existing trough at its low point, which is one of the cheapest effective fixes for a run that overflows. At grade, a hinged extension flips up for mowing; a buried extension to a pop-up emitter carries the water well out into the yard where a surface pipe would be in the way, and needs enough fall to drain and a locate before digging. A rain barrel, if wanted, is positioned so it sits level and overflows onto grass, not back to the wall — noting that Cambridge's stormwater credit program is for non-residential properties, so the barrel is for the garden, not the bill.
The pipe nobody remembers
Where an existing downspout runs into a cast iron or clay standpipe at grade on an old Galt or Preston house, that pipe is traced before anything is connected to it. If it leads to the foundation drain or the house sewer, it is capped and the new downspout is released above grade. If it is a sound dedicated storm lead, a hose test shows whether it still flows and it may be worth keeping.
Frequently asked questions
My downspout empties onto the front steps. Is that actually against the by-law?
Yes. Section 4.8 of Cambridge's Property Standards By-law 26-021 says roof drainage may not be discharged on an entranceway, walkway, stair or sidewalk. It is also how front steps ice in winter. The fix is usually to run the downspout to the side or back, or under the walk to the lawn.
Can you add a second downspout to my existing trough?
If the trough is sound, yes. An outlet is cut at the low end, a drop and downspout are fitted, and the pitch is checked so water reaches it. Many overflow complaints end there.
What about my neighbour's downspout draining onto my property?
Talk to them first, because the fix is often a short extension. If that fails, Cambridge's by-law is explicit that roof drainage may not be discharged directly onto neighbouring property, and the City's by-law compliance office is the route.
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