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Hi
I recently removed a pit lit to clean out what I thought was a stormwater pit. When I looked in there was quite a bit of standing water and pipes. I assume its irrigation related but can someone confirm and explain how it works?
Hi @HunterProperty,
From what can be seen in the pit, this doesn’t look like an irrigation setup. It’s much more likely a sump pit with a pump in it.
The key clues are the black pipe coming up from the bottom of the pit, and the power cable running through the PVC conduit. Irrigation systems don’t normally have powered components sitting in pits like this. What’s likely happening is that this pit collects groundwater or stormwater from a low point around the property. At the bottom of the pit, connected to that black pipe, there is almost certainly a sump pump. The pump then discharges water through the outlet pipe to another location, usually the stormwater system or a suitable discharge point elsewhere on the block.
The fact that there is water sitting in the pit suggests one of a few things. The pump may have failed, the float switch may be stuck or not operating correctly, or the pump could be manually operated with a switch somewhere and simply hasn’t been turned on. Some older setups don’t have automatic floats and rely on a manual switch, often used during heavy rain.
Your next step would be to safely lower the water level so you can see the base of the pit more clearly. That should confirm whether there is a pump sitting down there and how it’s connected. If it is a sump pump, it’s worth checking whether it’s receiving power and whether the float or switch is operating, as that will explain why water has been allowed to build up.
Please let me know if you have any questions.
Mitchell
