Hi,

I recently moved a shower drain in my basement which involved cutting a few feet of cement in the basement floor. When I dug down about 8" below the cement I hit standing water and even when I removed the water it returned as it appears that that may be the water table under the house. There is about 6 - 8 inches of gravel and then the concrete which is about 3" before the water would be into the basement but I am somewhat concerned.
The house is 20 years old and I don't think there has been any water penetration into the basement but with the water so close to the basement floor should I be concerned? By the way I do have drainage tile that runs under the house and it appears to be tied into the floor drain and then out to the storm sewer at the street. The drainage system is gravity fed and I do not have a sump pit or pump.
Is water so close to the basement level a concern? If so what would you suggest?

It's a scary thing to dig, never know what you might find….especially if it's your own investment. I have seen hydraulic lifting of basement floor due to water being trapped. However you say there are additional drain tiles that you know of inside the footer, so any pressure should be eliminated. I assume the water table level is why they put so much gravel down during construction. As long as your basement is dry and you don't notice any unusual settling I wouldn't be concerned. If dampness or settling is occurring, putting a sump may be the next best option.