STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — Staten Island residents with rain gutters connected directly to the New York City sewer system may be forced to fork over thousands of dollars in fines if they do not take action to disconnect the downspouts.
Among the residents concerned over enforcement is Patrick Mooney, a resident of Fremont Avenue in Grant City, who recently received a letter from the Department of Environmental Protection alerting the community that they will be inspecting homes to ensure all downspouts are disconnected from the sewer system.
Mooney feels that the burden should not be placed on residents to find out if their gutter is connected to the sewer and potentially pay a contractor to disconnect it. As such, he brought the matter to the attention of local officials…