Mountain runoff

addohm

I live at the basin of a small mountains. The recent aggressive thaw and rainfall has brought to my attention how much of that runoff runs straight into the foundation of my house. We have weeping channels in the foundation that all runto in a sort-of well in the basement which has a sumo pump pumping the water right back outside along the foundation. It's really pretty dumb. I wish I noticed this when I bought the house. Anyway, can I pump that water into the sewage drain legally? It's clean water.

Also, although it may be a bit off topic, what's a good way to shed that water before it even gets to the foundation of our house?

Brewbeer

Most jurisdictions don't want storm water run off going into the municipal sewer system. If you have a septic system, don't discharge into that as it's not good for the septic system and it's probably not designed to handle the flow.

Re-grade the ground surface around your house so the ground slopes away from your foundation.

Jamie Hall

To add to @Brewbeer 's comments -- which are spot on -- you should also redirect the outlet of your sump pump to be as far away -- and as far downhill -- as possible. Be careful, though, not to redirect it onto a neighbour's property. That just doesn't help with friendly relationships!

JUGHNE

Perhaps a trench on the uphill side of your house with drain tile placed in that drains to daylight on either side of the house. It would be buried with gravel so the runoff would drain down into the ground and find the drain tile.

For farm ground there are companies that specialize in what is called "Drain Tile" . If any around there they would know what to do.

Gordy

99% of foundation water issues are from poor site grading around the house perimeter, gutter down spouts not directed far enough from the foundation perimeter, and sump pump discharge the same.

The dumping of sump pump discharge into your sanitary sewer is illegal. It over burdens sanitary facilities with additional effluent. And the possibility of additional pollutants which may be in the run off, or from the perimeter of your foundation. Such that the facility may not be able to remove before discharge.

Sounds like as mentioned site grading to slope away from foundation, and gutter/sump pump discharge carried farther away from foundation. Problem solved.

hot_rod

A "french drain" around the house.

You would dig down to the footing level, add perforated drain pipe and 2" rock. Take it to day light or external sump.

You might add an additional perforated drain just under the top soil and grass, sometimes called a curtain drain.

Ideally you want to deal with run off before it gets into the footing and foundation.

Gordy

Im assuming the OP already has drain tile on the inside perimeter if there is a sump basket. Possibly outside perimeter also. It sounds from discription that water is not discharged far enough away from foundation. Recirculating of run off at its best.

hot_rod

He mentioned "weeping" holes into sort of a sump. Sounds like and afterthought system? Usually you do not see the drain tiles or piping inside the building, maybe where it enters the sump basin.

I have seen people drill holes near the footing foundation seam to relieve hydrostatic pressure on a wall. But it needs to be pumped away from the building or you have a dog chasing it's tail :0 The only winner is the power company.

Gordy

Your right Bob, sounds like the after thought solution where they install plastic channels at the base of the foundation wall around perimeter dumping into an installed sump basket.

hot_rod

Sort of like closing the barn door after the cows are out!

addohm

@Gordy you're not wrong. The sump drain tube was originally parallel against the foundation. It ran about half way across the house towards the down grade of the hill. It was really dumb. Once I moved it away I could tell the sump pump was working less.

That's not to say it wasn't still working hard to pump out all that runoff though. I gotta figure out a way to divert it. It's probably eroding my foundation and it's a huge waste of electricity.

addohm

@hot rod
@Gordy
I'm a novice. I only repeated what our property agent relayed to us. Here is what I do know.

In the corner of my basement, where the house is nearest to the mountain base, there is a hole in the concrete floor. The hole is roughly the same diameter as a 5 gallon bucket. Inside the hole is a sump pump that (thankfully) works, and works hard.

Also, along the wall in the basement that's perpendicular to the mountain base, there are several dime sized holes in the concrete floor. No idea what they're floor put they're absolutely there on purpose.

There is some water buildup on the floor of the basement furthest to the mountain. I can only speculate where that comes from but it's only their during heavy rain/melting. This water is always around the pipes in place (which are ran down and up through the concrete) for the 3rd bathroom and coincodentaly where the city water comes in.

Gordy

One thing to look into is your water table. Especially in the spring.

Seems like what you have is a make shift set up as I posted. The pvc base just acts as a gutter to direct the water to the sump. Possibly it was once there, and removed. There would be tell tale signs of epoxy resin from which the base was fastened.

Really hard to dial in a solution with out knowing the soils you are built on. Water table etc.

hot_rod

Often times local excavators have the best knowledge and solutions.
Around here we have foundation repair companies, they can hydro jack settled buildings, expose and re-tar leaky foundations and add fiberglass pads to the foundation, install drain fields, pumps pits, alarm systems, whatever it takes.

Foundation water problems can be surface water from bad landscaping or downspouts as Gordy mentioned. Or subsurface water deeper in the ground. Or both.

When the ground gets saturated water it will find some flow path.

It's a gravity sport, and you happen to be at the receiving end.