From: jim@grafix.eid.anl.gov (Jim Kuiper)
Subject: The Dutch Challenge
Summary: wet water woes
Organization: Argonne National Laboratory
Date: Thu, 21 Jan 1993 16:03:26 GMT


Keeping water out of basements is a familiar subject, but I think this case
is a challenge worth reading about.  Specifically, it is...

THE DUTCH CHALLENGE - LIVING BELOW THE WATER TABLE

We have a 3 bedroom ranch with a full basement.  It is in a formerly
unincorporated area in the Chicago suburbs, and has a 3/4 acre yard.
We are connected to city water, but have a septic field.  Our lot is in
the low part of a slightly sloping area of the houses immediately around us.

The back 1/4 to 1/3 of our lot currently is flooded with 1 - 3 inches of
water.  Our septic field has flooded for short periods, but we have never had
any apparent problems because of this.

Currently our sump pump cycles every 90 seconds, with about 40 seconds of
pumping time.  The pump can move about ~37 gallons per minute out of our sump.
Over the last few months the volume pumped has been from 20 to 30 gpm, or
1200 to 1800 gallons per hour; 28,000 - 43,200 gallons per day.  If our
basement filled at this rate (which it wouldn't of course), it would take
only 1.5 days to fill it to ground level.  This is equivalent to the volume
of Lake Michigan over the time of our mortgage.

Our sump pumps into a 6 inch line that drains to the far corner of our front
yard, about 60 feet from our house.  This is into a ditch that follows the
lot line to the back.  It has visible flow for about 150 feet, then seems
stagnant.

Other facts:
There are NO broken water mains nearby.
It is not unusual in our area to have sand or gravel seams underground.
We have a battery backup pump, but it can't move enough water to keep up.
The water in back is mainly from our neighbor(s).  We're lower.
It is a wet time of year, but not the wettest.
There are storm sewers along the street, but only drain street level water.
We plan to stay in the house for at least the next 3 years.
I eventially plan to seek professional help - of one kind or another.  :^)


Here are some possibilities I have thought about.

1) Install a second pump in the same pit for safety and an electrical backup
   for power outages.  Electrical backup could be batteries with conversion
   to house current, or an automatic generator of some kind.  Pumps could
   alternate, or the new one could vary in speed with the water level.
   I don't know how to obtain some of these items.  What setup is best?

2) After determining the pressure on the foundation this would represent,
   build a 1 - 2 foot wall around the sump pit and allow the water to come
   up higher.  This would greatly increase the pump cycle time and might
   lower the total amount of water coming in because of the pressure.  On
   the other hand, we would have some other seepage.

3) Try to map the underground water flow in our yard, using dye or such,
   with the goal of diverting or blocking the "underground river" somehow.
   Does anyone know how this is done and where to get the dye?

4) Call the city and neighbors and try to get some kind of property drainage
   system for our area.  My concern here is the expense, waste of time
   with uncaring government, etc.

5) Covertly (ha!) dig next to the storm sewer, drill through the culvert
   and run my sump pump line into it.  For that matter, I could pump my
   whole lot out.  And plant tulips.  And power it all with windmills.
   (You should see our electric bills.  The lights dim when the pump goes on.)

Any positive suggestions, ideas, etc. would be appreciated.
Any negative suggestions, ideas, etc. are OK if they are funny but not rude.
+--------------------------------------------------------+
|  Jim Kuiper - "The Dutch guy with a Dutch challenge."  |
|  jim@spatial.eid.anl.gov                               |
+--------------------------------------------------------+
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house,misc.rural