Question
QUESTION: I have ground water issues in my house. Our sump pump comes on every time it rains. All our neighbors dont have this problem - we are the lowest lying house in the neighborhood.

The amount of water is such that somebody knowledgable told me that planting a few trees that "drink" lots of water can help significantly. I can plant them around our patio about 3-5ft away from the foundation.

Could you please suggest some trees/plants that

(a) absorb/drink lot of the ground water, and
(b) would not cause damage to the basement by spreading their roots and causing trouble to the foundation.

Any suggestions/help will be most appreciated.

ANSWER: Hey, Al.

While planting trees that drink lots of water sounds good, I have to disagree. Here's why:

First, trees take up water through their roots to replace water that is lost through their leaves. The majority of water loss comes during dry, sunny weather. The hotter it is, the more water will be lost through the leaves. Obviously, if it is raining, it is not dry and sunny, so there will be little loss of water through the leaves. Consequently, there will also be little uptake of water through the roots.

Second, vegetation would never be able to absorb all the rain that falls, which is why we still get landslides in areas that are overgrown with vegetation. And since you're also the lowest-lying property, the vegetation would have to absorb all the rainwater that flows to your property from everyone else's property. It's just not going to happen.

Without knowing exactly where you are, the fact that you have a basement gives me some clues. Additionally, you are the lowest-lying house in the neighborhood, and none of your neighbors have the problem. That's exactly what I could have guessed. Here's what's probably going on:

Water flows from the highest point to the lowest point, and it starts flowing as soon as it hits the ground. You're the lowest point in the neighborhood, so you're going to get the neighbors' water, and they are quite happy to let you have it. The fact that you already have a sump pump, and that it apparently works, is good.

Here's what I think would be a better solution to protect your basement and house. Contact a good landscape professional and have them install French drains in appropriate areas around your house. Here's a couple of web sites about French drains:

http://www.diydoctor.org.uk/projects/frenchdrains.htm

http://www.repair-home.com/how_to/create_a_french_drain.htm

While I don't recommend installing French drains yourself, if you become very knowledgeable about them, how they are supposed to work, and how to install them so that they do, indeed, work, then it is possible to do it yourself. Water, though, is one of the greatest problems with houses, so it's one area where I think a very good landscaper with knowledge and experience in designing and installing French drains is well worth the money spent.

I'm presuming that you already have rain gutters and downspouts installed. Make sure the downspouts extend at least six feet away from the structure. Also make sure that, even though you're the lowest-lying property, the grading (soil) around your home slopes away from the house. This quite often is not done because people create foundation planters right up against the house and then pour water into them to grow beautiful plants and flowers. That's exactly the wrong thing to do. If you have foundation planters, make sure there is flashing at the foundation wall or pull the planters away from the wall by 6-12 inches so that there is a gap between the back of the planter and the wall itself.

Good luck with everything. Feel free to ask more questions or to let me know how things are going.

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Thanks so much for your prompt,detailed and very enlightening reply. We live on the east coast in PA. Our rain gutters and downspouts have been pulled away from the foundation and work good. The real issue is that the water in the sump pit comes from bottom up. So its really ground water. We do have french drains installed (thats the code in our area). They rarely ever pull water through them. As I said its simply the ground water coming from bottom up into the sump pit. When the sump pump comes on, it throws the water out, the pit fills up 1/2 of it with more water coming from the bottom. The surface water seems to drain pretty well as there are swales all around that pull the water to the storm sewers. So I dont really know what else to do...

On a related note, I presume planting a few trees that absorb water cant hurt in any way. We need to put some trees anyway and I was thinking it cant hurt to put trees that take water...Is that correct? If so, can you suggest some such year-round water absorbing trees? I do understand that they may not help the problem....
any suggestions will be most appreciated.

Thanks, once again and regards,

Al


Answer
Hey, Al.

It sounds like you might need more sump pumps installed in strategic locations since it sounds like the water table is high.

As far planting trees that like high-water conditions, be very careful about doing that. Many trees that enjoy excessive water also have vast, extensive root systems. Those roots will grow anywhere and everywhere looking for water and might end up destroying your sump pit, your swales, your French drains, etc.

I think consulting with the best, most experienced landscaper you can find might be in order for your specific problems.