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Sunday’s record-breaking rainfall proved that when it rains in New York, it pours sewage.

"Basically, New York City is one of the few cities in the country, there’s only four percent of cities in the U.S. that have what are called ‘combined sewers,’ which is pretty much where when you flush your toilet or use your sink at home, those pipes end up going into the same set of pipes that are out here outside," said Dan Hendrick of the New York League of Conservation Voters.

The result during rainfalls isn't pretty, and it's not just because of flooding. Even the smallest rainfall can overwhelm the city's sewer system, dumping thousands upon thousands of gallons of raw sewage into its waterways.

Environmental experts say that every year, up to 27 billion gallons of sewage will pour out of the city's 400-plus combined sewer outfalls.

City officials could not estimate how many gallons were dumped from Sunday's storm.

Last year, the Bloomberg administration released a proposal to divert storm water from the system, promising to reduce overflow by 40 percent by 2030.

The mayor said Monday that he is committed to the investment.

"Since ‘02 we have invested nearly $2 billion in sewer system upgrades, including $242 million specifically in southeast Queens, which really has reduced the problem," said Bloomberg.

Experts champion the proposals, which include the planting of street trees, the exploration of porous pavement and the construction of green roofs.

"If you add that up, between 10 or 20 billion gallons of water a year would never go into the wastewater process system. That's an enormous dent in the problem," said research scientist Stuart Gaffin.

Though the city is making progress, some want to make sure these proposals aren't swept away in a new administration or in an economic downturn.

"The administration has a plan, and their goals are heading in the right direction,” said Eric Goldstein of the Natural Resources Defense Council. “Now it’s time to make sure that the funding and the specifics of that plan match the objectives.”

If you have any significant flooding problems in your neighborhood, call 311 for assistance.