Sump Pump Installation — Lothian, MD
A Lothian homeowner had a finished basement that flooded during heavy rain events. The home had no sump system. We installed a sump pit, a primary pump, and a battery backup — and the basement stayed dry through the first major spring storm two weeks later.
The Problem
A homeowner in Lothian called after their finished basement flooded for the second time in 18 months. The first flood had caused $8,000 in damage to flooring and drywall. The home, built in 1988, had no sump system. Water was entering through the floor-wall joint and through two low points in the concrete floor during heavy rain events. The homeowner had installed a dehumidifier after the first flood, but it did nothing to prevent the second one.
Our Diagnosis
We inspected the basement during a light rain. Water was visibly seeping through the floor-wall joint along the back wall — the side of the house that faced uphill. The grading outside directed water toward the foundation. The concrete floor had two low points where water pooled. The water table in this part of Anne Arundel County sits relatively high, and the home's foundation was below the seasonal high water table. A sump system was the correct solution — interior drainage to a sump pit, with a pump to discharge the water away from the foundation.
The Repair Process
- 1Identified the lowest point in the basement floor for sump pit placement
- 2Jackhammered a 24-inch diameter, 30-inch deep sump pit through the concrete floor
- 3Installed a perforated sump liner with washed gravel surround
- 4Installed a Zoeller M53 cast iron primary sump pump — rated for continuous duty
- 5Ran 1.5-inch PVC discharge line through the rim joist, sloped to daylight 12 feet from the foundation
- 6Installed a check valve on the discharge line to prevent backflow
- 7Installed a Zoeller Aquanot battery backup pump — activates on power failure or if primary is overwhelmed
- 8Installed a high-water alarm with audible alert
- 9Patched the concrete around the sump pit with hydraulic cement
- 10Tested both pumps by filling the pit with water — both activated and discharged correctly
The Outcome
The basement stayed completely dry through a 3.5-inch rain event two weeks after installation — the same type of storm that had caused the previous two floods. The battery backup activated once during a brief power outage during that storm, keeping the pit pumped down while the primary was offline. The homeowner is now planning to refinish the basement, confident the flooding problem is solved.
Key Takeaway
A dehumidifier treats humidity — it cannot stop water intrusion. When water is entering a basement through the floor-wall joint or floor cracks during rain events, a sump system is the correct solution. The battery backup is not optional in Anne Arundel County — power outages during the storms that cause flooding are common.
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May 2026
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Southern Maryland
June 2026
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Dunkirk, MD
June 2026
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