High Watertable

Even though the ground surface should be drying out fairly quickly this week, it may take the rest of the ground a lot longer to drain. We had lots of snow this year plus all the recent heavy rains so the soils may still be very saturated. I don't think the actual water table will change much, but until all the rain percolates down to it, you may continue to get a lot of water through your french drain system. Also, why you may get more or less than your neighbors will depend both on differences in elevation of your yards and differences in the underlying soil and clay layers.

If you find out who built the development, depending on how old it is and if they're still in business, they may already know what the underlying soils are like and what your system is, but I would assume any plumber or landscaper can help you depending on what type of problem you think you may have. In the meantime, you might be able to get a backup pump to give you peace of mind in case your primary one should fail. I don't have a sump, so I'm not familiar with those pumps specifically, but many boats have a primary bilge pump and a back-up, so I'm sure you could have a similar set-up.

Good luck, hopefully with the hot sunny forecast for this week, things will begin to dry out for you.

N.-

I am an environmental engineer so I can fill you in a bit on what is going on here. I am not sure that anything needs to be "fixed". It sounds like this is the normal process for the way in which water and soils interact. When it rains, the water will penetrate the ground and soils until the void spaces between the soil particles are full (a lot like a sponge) after which it will run off the surface (a.k.a. surface water run off). The water stored in the soil will drain downwards into the groundwater and can result in an elevated water table. Water tables are generally seasonal and can vary widely. This is not unusual.

All soil has a certain capacity. Given the extreme amounts of water that this area has been receiving, the soil capacity is most likely considered "super-saturated". The soil will evaporate off the surface as well as drain downward. If your french drains are intercepting this downward flow, they create the path of least resistance and will continue to flow until all the surrounding soil has dried out, completely.

Depending on your location (i.e. if you are a lower spot), all water drains downhill and you will continue to have water in your french drains for a long time after a storm as the higher elevations will dry out first, then the mid -elevations and finally the lower elevation. This concept is known as a water shed and although the surface is dry/drier the movement of water through the soil may still be occurring.

As long as the pump does not give out, the system is working as it should and it will just take time for the draining process to occur. If you are concerned about the pump due to age and/or frequency of use, go out and be proactive and buy a new sump now and replace the older one yourself. Not replacing sump pumps on a regular basis is usually how folks get in trouble. They wait until it fails then it is just too late.

So, may advise is basically let nature take its course (this could be a few weeks due to the rain volume we have had) and get yourself a back-up/replacement pump and either be prepared or be proactive. Either way, save your money.

~C.

We always had problemsin our basement with our sump pump after heavy rains. We usually tried to have a back up pump if/when the old one sopped working. Make sure the drain pipe is dumping water far enough away from the house or it will just flow back towards the house again.

It sounds like, with all the rain you have gotten, it might have blocked the pipes. I would suggest a plumber, make sure they know what the issue is and hopefully they will bring a camera on a line to send down your drain to check it out.
That's where I would start. Good Luck.

N.; This year we have seen a lot more rain than usual but there still seems to be a problem. What you need to do is add under ground pipes in your yard and around your foundation to get the water away from the house. The property is most likely sloped towards the house and water always finds the path of least resistance. The best place to start is a landscaper. I know Howard at Cross River Design in Annandale can help and so can Mike at Garden Associates in Whitehouse. You may have someone closer too. Good luck to you!