Sump pumps protect my basement from flooding. The best way to get rid of that excess ground water is into my floor drain, right? After all, the floor drain does make sure that all the water is taken away. Wrong! Putting the sump pump directly to the floor drain could actually cause your basement to flood.
Floor drains, often in your laundry room or furnace room, are connected to the sanitary sewer system: the same system as your sinks, showers and toilets. This system collects all of the wastewater and pumps it all the way back to Calgary for treatment. However, this collection system is designed only for this very specific reason. It simply does not have the capacity to handle extra volumes of water, such as ground water from sump pumps.
Ground water levels start to rise in wet events, like heavy rains or snow melts. Too many sump pumps discharging into the floor drains, will overload the sanitary sewer system. The pumps within the sanitary sewer system can’t handle such a surge and will start to backup. This sewer backup can come right back into your basement, the same place you are trying to protect from flooding.
Your sump pump should discharge outside of your home and be set back two meters from the edge of your property. Our storm water system is designed to take overland flood water away, and this includes the ground water coming from your sump pumps.
Why is the discharge at least two meters away from the edge or your property? Part of the design of this storm water system is to help regulate the rate of flow going into it. That extra two meters where the sump discharges groundwater onto your grass, shrubs and trees slows the water down. The storm system can handle very large volumes of water, but it is the rate of flow that we are concerned with. Also, by keeping the flow from directly discharging onto any sidewalks, roads or swales helps reduce any icing issues that may occur in colder temperatures. Finally, by having this sump groundwater placed on your property helps keep any of your own landscaping moist. This groundwater is perfectly safe for your plants and is actually healthier for lawns, trees, shrubs and so on. This can also save you money by using less water from the tap to irrigate.
There are bylaws and fines for having your sump pump attached to the floor drain or if set abutting property without the 2 meter set back (Town of Chestermere Bylaw 008-12). It helps to see why these laws are in place. To read more about these Bylaws or for more information about proper set-up of your sump pump, please visit CUI at www.cuinc.ca.
