Ask Me Help Desk - Basement Drain Flooding in Wisconsin

I appreciate all the advice given to hedlann. I have the same problem,wasn't even sure if it was a drain or not. With all the snow we had over the winter and then all the thawing out. And of course the flooding we are having now ,our basement is quite wet. I've been running a hose from the "hole in the floor" to the drain in the floor that actually looks like a drain to keep the water off the basement floor. This only works when its not raining.Hose can't keep up otherwise. By the way ,I'm in Wisconsin

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Originally Posted by charmins67

I appreciate all the advice given to hedlann. I have the same problem,wasnt even sure if it was a drain or not. With all the snow we had over the winter and then all the thawing out. and of course the flooding we are having now ,our basement is quite wet. I've been running a hose from the "hole in the floor" to the drain in the floor that actually looks like a drain to keep the water off the basement floor. This only works when its not raining.Hose can't keep up otherwise. By the way ,I'm in Wisconsin

Greetings from a Beloit transplant to Sarasota.
Do you have a septic tank or are you on city sewer? Please explain "hole in the floor" to me. Is this a sump pump pit and does it fill even when it's not raining? This sounds like ground water intrusion. There are a few solutions. You may install a sump pump in the pit and discharge it outside the area, not in your septic tank or the city sewer, **or** you could install a passive system such as a french drain, (see image) around the foundation to carry the ground water away. If you need more information about french drains click on back, Regards, Tom

We are on city sewer. No sump pump. We have lived here for 7 years. Never had this problem before. The hole in the floor is the same size as our drain. I believe we have always been able to see water in it.just never overflowed before.
Water will also come up through any holes or cracks in the floor.?

I don't think we have been making holes in floor, lately, that aren't part of the floor or curtain drain system. If you always saw water it is probably a trapped floor drain and you might just be moving water from one side to the other. For now I'd try pumping water out a window via a hose. Since you have no sump pump then I suspect the fllor drains are connected to the city sewer and you might call the city sewert dept. and ask how their system is working. Over in Madison Wisconsin the city sewer flooding earlier this week and they had to dump the entire city system into the lake.