Where should sump pump be drained?
WHERE SHOULD MY SUMP PUMP WATER GO? Run your sump pump drainage away from your home. Do not let it flow onto driveways, sidewalks or other paved surfaces. Discharge must be clear, clean water such as ground water or residential air conditioner condensate.
Plan your garden near the bottom of a natural slope in your lawn, at least 10 feet from your foundation and downhill from your sump pump. To find the best spot, dig a hole 12 inches deep and fill with water. If the water is gone in 24 hours, then it's the perfect place for a rain garden.
Underground Sump Pump Drain Services
Underground sump pump drains can be installed to divert a substantial amount of water away from the foundation of your home. Underground sump pump drains also eliminate mulch and decorative stone wash out as water is released in a designated turf area and not into a landscape bed.
Sump Pump Installation and Labor Cost Estimate | |
---|---|
Average Cost | $1,200 |
Highest Cost | $3,000 - $3,800 |
Lowest Cost | $600 - $1,000 |
For most average-sized homes in areas with average water tables, a 1/3 HP sump pump should be sufficient. Typically, 1/3 HP pumps can handle 7' – 10' vertical lifts from the sump pit if they have one 90-degree elbow and a horizontal pipe run between 3 feet and 25 feet.
While a sump pump signifies a seller is taking the initiative towards addressing moisture in the home, its presence in the basement will typically raise the antenna of buyers, agents, and home inspectors.
Redirect Your Sump Pump to a Rain Barrel
Most of the time, this is into a storm drain or a sewer. But why waste that water when you could use it to water your thirsty garden or trees and bushes. If you redirect the water from your sump pump into a rain barrel, you can do just that.
While it may seem simple and harmless to discharge your sump pump down a regular drain in your home, it's actually a bad idea to send that water into the sanitary system. On top of potentially being illegal, this method can overwhelm the sewage system and cause other issues.
- Disconnect the sump pump from the power supply. Unplug the sump pump or turn off the circuit breaker at the power source. ...
- Wrap the pump. ...
- Clean the pump. ...
- Rinse the pump. ...
- Drain the check valve. ...
- Use the wet/dry vacuum to remove standing water from the sump pit. ...
- Reconnect the pump.
You basically need to pour enough water in the pit so that it triggers the float by itself, engages the pump's motor and hence, the impeller should drain the water in the sump. If the water you pour engages the pump and the water gets dispelled, then your pump is working properly.
Should my sump pump drain into the sewer?
It is critical that sump pumps discharge to the yard or storm sewer, not to the sanitary sewer. It is illegal to connect your sump pump into your sanitary lateral. Not only can this cause serious health and safety concerns, it is also costing county rate payers.
The sump pump discharge line should be either buried in the yard or extended out above-grade at a downward slope. If the pipe is buried, it should be buried at least 12 centimetres below the frost line (the maximum depth of ground below which the soil doesn't freeze).

An Outdoor Sump Pump is your first – and best – line of defence against water damage to your home. A sump pump is an electrical pump that is used to pump excess water out of the basement. Sump pumps are usually located inside your home, under the basement foundation.
It is important to start this hole about 6” above the Sump Pump, and to drill it at a 45-degree angle UPWARDS. This will allow the water that will inevitably shoot out of this hole to be directed downwards.