Where does the sump pump send its Discharge Water?
Sump pumps, which we discuss on this page, are designed to remove unwanted water, such as surface or ground water that leak into a building. But the sump pump system will be ineffective if the water it discharges is routed where the same water simply leaks back into the building. The sump pump installation may also be improper or even illegal in some communities if it discharges into the sewer system. • In this photo at left a temporary sump pump discharge line has been left on the basement floor – no good destination has been assigned to sump outlet hose. • If this sump pump is called-on to operate in this condition the building will simply be flooded. Sump pumps that have been added to an older structure often pump their discharge to the ground surface where it runs to a storm drain or area drainage setting. If you have such a system be sure that the sump pump discharge empties where it meets these criteria: • The water leaving the sump pump should be discharged to a location where i
