Archived Thread

NFT: Water leaking from septic pipe inside home?

bigblue1124 : 4/15/2019 11:29 am

Hey BBI,
I am having issues with water and mud coming inside our basement area through the pipe for our ejector pump exiting the house. I have made sure it is water and mud not from the ejector pump tank. We had a ton of rain overnight and believe this is what has caused this because it has not been an ongoing issue and only a minimal amount of water has gotten in.

My question is who should I contact regarding getting this fixed? It is obviously an issue from the outside exit of the pipe so I am a little lost in regards to who to call? Should I reach out to a septic company or a foundation company to look at it?
Any assistance would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks in advance

its a sump pump

antdog24 : 4/15/2019 11:35 am : link

the reason it was installed is probably because of this exact situation, when it rains heavy the sump area fills with water and the pump is supposed to pump it out. It's probably coming in too fast for the pump to keep up with the flow. There should be a check valve installed on the pump so that water cannot back flow through the pump, like you're suggesting.

I appreciate the response but it�s not a sump pump

bigblue1124 : 4/15/2019 11:48 am : link

It is a ejector pump for our full bath in the basement. The pump is working fine however the main pipe exiting the home is where the water and mud is coming from.

Sounds like it backed up into the ejector pump

jcn56 : 4/15/2019 11:59 am : link

I don't know much about below grade bathrooms, I've been looking into have one done and the concept concerns me.

Isn't there some sort of backflow device to prevent the septic system from backing up into the house?

Thats the thing

bigblue1124 : 4/15/2019 12:03 pm : link

It is not backing up. The water and mud is coming from outside in from where ever the exit pipe is located. its not waste from the bathroom the leak is following the exit pipe inside the home somehow.

Water Seepage

Archer : 4/15/2019 12:09 pm : link

It sounds like ground water.
It could be that your water table is rising due to the excessive rain.
The first thing to do is to check if there are any downspouts near where the water is coming in.
Sometimes there can be a blockage in your storm piping.
This could be due to leaves or dirt getting into the gutters and then clogging the drain lines.

You should contact a basement water proofing company. They can recommend a variety of solutions, including waterproofing of the walls,creating drainage below the basement floor, adding a sump pump, or adding a french drain on the exterior.

sounds like

mdthedream : 4/15/2019 12:21 pm : link

the level outside is above the pipe and its just leaking in. Had that problem in my new house I once had. Other than trying to seal it from the icside not sure what you can do. other than wait for the water level to drop back down. Probably needs to be sealed from the outside and a drain pipe added under it to send the water in a different direction,

when was the last time your septic was pumped?

ColHowPepper : 4/15/2019 12:52 pm : link

with a high level and the rain last night, may be the reason it's backing up, no place else to go

Anything involving piping,..

FatMan in Charlotte : 4/15/2019 12:55 pm : link

I've called a plumber to take a look. Even if it is related to water draining and basement issues.

If you have a contractor you trust

Moondawg : 4/15/2019 1:42 pm : link

they would know enough to point you in the right direction. That and/or plumber. You may need special masonry work, but either of those would point you in the right direction.

I did reach out to my plumber

bigblue1124 : 4/15/2019 2:28 pm : link

He was unsure who to contact septic repair or foundation? I will reach out to my contractor who did a lot of the renovation when we bought the home he just does Reno now but used to be a builder years ago.

Thanks for the input I appreciate it.

so much piss poor reading comprehension here

oghwga : 4/15/2019 3:12 pm : link

you can try fixing it yourself. someone already wisely said to make sure your gutters and downspouts are functioning properly and also check to make sure that nothing else outside the house has changed as far as groundwater.

Most likely over time the soil outside has shifted and your once solidly anchored pipe has shifted a bit allowing groundwater to penetrate the foundation.

If it is not flooding in, there are epoxy sealers you can buy at the big box stores that you can mix yourself and easily apply to the wall and the pipe that will seal it.

The next best plan is to reach out to your contractor friend. To fix it from the outside it will have to be excavated to gain access.

Thanks oghwga

bigblue1124 : 4/15/2019 4:36 pm : link

I am pretty sure this is the case but obviously want to do my do diligence. The amount of rain we received over night was pretty crazy and as I said before the amount of water and mud in the house was minimal but nonetheless there for the seeing.

Thanks for the input