What is a rain leader?
A rain leader is a pipe that is connected to the rain gutter downspouts. The pipe is then connected
to your sewer service. When it rains or when the snow on your roof melts the water travels down the gutters, into the rain leaders,
and finally into the sewer main in the street. The picture on the upper right-hand side of the page shows a typical rain leader that
is connected.
Why is having your rain leaders connected a problem?
Several times a year the Scranton Sewer Authority
collection system staff is called out on complaints of peoples’ basements flooding during a rain storm. Many times this flooding is
caused by the sewer service for the property being at its hydraulic capacity due to the rain leaders being connected to the sewer
service. This can cause thousands of dollars in damage to personal property that the Scranton Sewer Authority is not responsible for
and in many cases the property owner’s insurance policy does not cover. Allowing rain water to enter the system can also cause damage
to the Authority’s collection system by surcharging the sewer mains past capacity which can cause major health and environmental issues.
Discharging rain water to a sanitary sewer through rain leaders also violates state and federal laws required by the Clean Water Act
of 1977, and contributes to the hundreds of millions of gallons of stormwater that the Scranton Sewer Authority has to unnecessarily
treat each year. Currently the Scranton Sewer Authority is permitted and capable of treating 20 million gallons of wastewater per
day. In a rain event the Authority can take in as much as 39 million gallons per day or more. Stormwater from rain leaders greatly
contribute to this increased flow. Because the Scranton Sewer Authority Treatment Plant is not designed to handle this amount of flow,
the wastewater is not treated properly and causes the Authority to discharge pollutants to the
How do I disconnect my rain leaders?
Disconnecting your rain
leaders is very easy and inexpensive. It can be done by disconnecting your rain gutter from the rain leader and then connecting it
to a downspout extension. A downspout extension can also provide water to landscaping that would not normally receive rain water due
to overhangs. Downspout extensions can be purchased at any hardware or home and garden store.
What happens if I decide
to not disconnect my rain leaders?
In compliance with File of Council No. 19 2006, the Scranton Sewer Authority is within its
rights to sever your sanitary sewer connection after warning is given. A copy of File of Council No. 19 2006 can be found by clicking
the Stormwater Ordinance link above.
