Virginia Sump Pump Specialist
Sump Pumps: Not Only for Floods and Overflows
Like a watchful civil engineer, a drainage system will capture ground water that approaches a basement or crawlspace and pump it away from the house, protecting your home and possessions from potential water damage and harmful mold.
The system is most active during periods of high rain or snow melt, and homeowners frequently use basement waterproofing systems to battle moisture and flooding issues during these seasons. However, it must be stressed that weather-related run-off should not be discharged from a sump pump into the sanitary sewage system. Known as a cross-connection, such discharge causes higher sewage charges because it significantly increases the volume of water sent through the water treatment system.
Cross Connections are Costly to a Homeowner
A cross connection mixes what engineers call clear water (weather-related run-off) with household wastewater. Clearwater does not need treatment at a wastewater treatment facility; it’s just rainwater, groundwater, or snow melt, and can drain into local streams and rivers. Household wastewater does require treatment at a wastewater treatment facility; it’s the wastewater from the laundry room, kitchen, and bathroom.
Clear water, like a sump pump’s groundwater discharge, can overload the local sanitary sewer system. Additional sewage resulting from cross connections can more than double the volume for a given local during the rainy season. This means additional cost to you because sewer rates are volume-based: the more gallons of sewage your household sends for wastewater treatment, the higher your bill for using your city or township’s water treatment service.
The drawing below illustrates the safest and most economical way to route a sump pump connection.
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