I was walking around the neighborhood the other morning and lately it’s been pretty dry here in Stony Creek Littleton with temperatures in the high 80’s to the high 90’s. I came across a house that had a sump pump going in steady intervals. I noted that this property was at the bottom of a hill but did not appear to be surrounded by any ditches or bodies of water. I was actually shocked at the amount of water that was being pumped out of the tube. After observing the steady stream of water I went home to check my sump pump to see if it was getting any action. From what I could tell, there was not much water and I didn’t recall hearing the pump go off recently.
It wasn’t too long ago when I was considering putting another sump pump in my basement to keep the water from rising in my basement. My house is located at the bottom of hill as well as having almost all of my neighbors yards drain into mine. When I moved in, I tried regrading my property so the water would fall away from the structure, but there’s really only so much you can do. I also have put tiers in my backyard to see if I can slow the flow of water heading towards my house. None of these seemed to matter in the spring when we were getting such major rains. Finally my friends had an idea to re-route the flow of water from my sump pump. Instead of dumping it back into the backyard where the water kept sitting, they wrapped the PVC pipe around my house into the front yard. Crazy as it sounds…problem solved! Now I’m not saying I will never have problems again, but in just a short while, my backyard dried up and I can actually walk around back there without slipping in the mud. I can mow the lawn without my feet sliding down the hill and watching the grass disintegrate!
So I know water in this area can be a problem, and sometimes we just don’t know where it is coming from. Maybe the neighbor is being a little too generous with watering his/her lawn, maybe the water table under us is just really high, maybe the skies have opened up and the most direct route to get to the lakes and streams is through our basements. The reason I’m writing this article is to remind people that this area seems to get a lot of water drainage and winter then spring will be upon us again. If you live in Stony Creek and do not yet have a sump pump and do not need a sump pump, you are lucky. If you do not have a sump pump but need a sump pump, I have somebody you can call. If you do in fact already have a sump pump, make sure the pump is in good working order and that it has an inline check valve appropriately attached (to prevent backflow), and that there is enough room for the pump to do its job once it’s submerged in the pump pit. And finally, as I found out, make sure it’s routed in a way that you don’t have to pump the same water over and over. There is nothing more frustrating than water coming into your house and not only damaging your belongings but also letting your mind go wild thinking about if it’s actually damaging the house itself. Preventative maintenance and ongoing checks is always the best solution.
I love the Stony Creek neighborhood and want to take care of my lovely neighbors. If you or anyone you know is interested in buying or selling their home, Just Call Julie! 720-260-1180 - And seriously, if you need help with your sump pump I would be more than happy to share the information I have.
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