Groundwater, not sewage
Sump pump repair and installation in Aurora
A sump pump lifts groundwater out of a basin so it does not sit under the slab. It is not the pump that lifts toilet waste. Connecting it to the sanitary sewer is a mistake Lakewood states in plain language for its own customers.
What it should discharge to
The discharge should go where the local rules allow storm or groundwater to go, often outside, not into the sanitary sewer. Lakewood's sewer graphic says never connect a sump pump to the sewer system, for the city sewer serving about 8,000 north Lakewood customers. Aurora keeps stormwater and sewage in separate systems. A pump that sends groundwater into the sanitary lateral is dumping the wrong water into a pipe you may own to the tap. Ask the plumber where the pipe daylights, and ask the building department if that outlet is allowed.
A basin that smells like sewage, or that receives a toilet or a laundry line from a low basement, is not this pump. That is a sewer ejector. Replacing a sump will not fix a sewage backup.
Repair versus a new pump
A pump that hums, a stuck switch, or a frozen discharge line can be a repair. A pump that burned up, or a basin with no pump where water enters, is an installation. Ask about a battery or water-powered backup only if you understand it needs maintenance. This page does not describe electrical wiring. If the only problem is a tripped breaker, an electrician may be the right trade. Say that on the quote.
The check valve on the discharge should be part of the conversation so water does not run back into the basin. Ask who tests it.
Questions to settle first
Can the sump discharge into the sewer?
Do not plan on it. Lakewood's city sewer graphic says never to connect a sump to the sewer. Aurora treats stormwater and sewage as separate systems. Groundwater in the sanitary line is the wrong pipe. Ask where the discharge will outlet and whether that city allows it.
The basement smells like sewage. Is the sump the problem?
Maybe the basin is actually a sewage ejector, or a drain is backing up into a sump that should have stayed clean. A groundwater pump does not macerate toilet waste. If fixtures downstairs are involved, read the ejector page and the sewer page.
Do I need a backup pump?
Only if you want coverage when the power fails, and only if someone will maintain it. A backup is an extra scope, not a code fact this guide is inventing. Ask what happens to the water if the primary pump stops during a storm.
Who wires it?
If it is a plug into an existing outlet, say so. A new circuit is electrical work, and this page does not describe wiring. Put the electrical line on the quote or hire it separately so the pump is not left sitting in the box.
