Sump pumps must be hooked up according to the following diagram. Sump pumps are not allowed to drain into the sanitary sewer system. They must drain outside.

Anyone who has an AC sump pump. At some point the main pump will fail as a result of a power outage, main pump failure, float switch failure or the inability to keep up with the incoming water capacity. A backup pump is an inexpensive insurance policy eliminating the headaches and cost associated with a flooded basement.

The Basement Watchdog AC/DC Big Dog could be used as the only pump. However, it is recommended that all Watchdog systems be used as backups to provide complete redundancy to the main sump pump. In this configuration, if the main sump pump fails, there is a second pump in the pit ready to take over.

The easiest way would be to get all the information off the mfg. label before ordering a pump. If this information is not available, sizing will have to be done. It is very important to size a pump for proper operation of your system. A wrong pump can cause system damage and backup into the building, etc.

Sump pumps are not to drain directly onto a city right of way. These calls are directed to the Water & Waste Department at 986-5858.

NO, this is considered clean water and should be discharged away from the house to the ground surface. No one is allowed to discharge their sump pump flow to the sewer because it consumes wastewater capacity and contributes to hydraulic overloading of the wastewater treatment facilities. For additional guidance, please call the Board of sewer Commissioner's office at 781-383-4116 and staff will be happy to give you technical input on how best to handle you sump pump flow.

Check the outlet pipe to make sure it is not clogged or frozen. Follow the pipe and confirm that water are directed away from the property. Check that the pump is clean. Plug in the pump and remove the lid (if there is one). Use a flashlight and look into the pump and see that the inlet pipe is clean and free flowing. Test the pump by pouring at least 5 gallons of water and pumping it out. Be sure to pour the water in a way that will simulate the average flow into the pump.

Call the Engineering Division at (248) 871-2560 and we will send out someone to investigate and make a recommendation.

Answer: It is a violation of Minnesota state laws to discharge the water into the City’s sanitary sewer system. You may check with the Public Works Dept. at 507/333-0361 to see if a tile line is installed behind the curb of your property where you may connect. Otherwise you will have to discharge the water onto your yard. See: Water Discharge City Code, Section 28

Some houses have sump pumps installed in the basement for one of two reasons. First of all, in some areas the storm sewers (which carry rainwater) are at a higher elevation than the weeping tiles which are installed around the bottom of the house foundation wall. In order to get the ground water from the 'weeping tile' out to the storm sewer, the pipe is discharged into the sump pit and then pumped by the sump pump out to the storm sewer.

Answer: If your house is on caissons and the void under the foundation wall is still somewhat in tack it may work for a while. If this void closes up it will only pick up water immediately around the sump pit and pump area only. A sump pump and pit is only to collect water and pump it out of your basement. With out an interior drain system there is no way for the water to get from the opposite side of the basement to where the sump pit and pump are.

A typical neighborhood wastewater pumping station, which is owned and operated by the City of Batavia, is designed to pump around 150,000 gal/day. An illegal sump pump (one that is connected to the sanitary system) could be adding up to 40 gallons per minute of flow. A simple calculation (40 gpm x 1440 min. in a day) tells us that it would only take 3 of these illegally connected sump pumps to use up the entire pump station design capacity.

Yes, although this is not the approach we recommend. It's not water-proofing, it's water management. The way it works is the contractor drills holes in your foundation to allow water in through the wall, where it is directed into a pipe (inside your basement) that leads to a pump that pumps the water back to the storm sewer system. Internal wall boards, usually made of plastic, are typically installed to conceal the pipes.

We recommend using a deep-cycle marine type battery (27M) for best performance. However, a standard 12V automobile battery may also be used. In either case, please be sure the battery is fully charged before installing it in the battery case.

A sump pump was originally designed to control ground water. The pump is installed at the lowest level of basement floor. It collects the ground water as it accumulates around the house and is usually discharged into the yard. This method is usually effective for controlling seepage. The problem, however, lies with the use of a sump pump (or ejector pump) for preventing sewer back-up.

Usually 1/3 to 1/2 horsepower is sufficient. For the average size basement or waterproofing system these will suffice.

No, it is not permitted to hook any private drainage into the sewer system as this can cause an overload in the mains, resulting in sewage backing up into all properties on the overloaded system. This same logic applies to opening manholes up to drain flooded areas.

You may want to check out one of the battery backup sump pump systems available that rely on a rechargeable 12-volt marine battery, or you can plug the sump pump into a portable generator following the safety precautions described above. There are also systems that use municipal household water pressure to operate and are designed to work during power outages. Your plumber or a local retailer can help you select and install the right equipment.

When considering this option, you must contact the Engineering Division directly. You may be asked to provide a detailed sketch or other documentation for your proposed construction. As long as it is in the opinion of the Engineering Division that you will not be adversely impacting the capacity of the storm drain system, the street or your neighbor’s property, your request will likely be granted.