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GTAGTA Plumbing Company

Services · Basements

Basement Flooding Plumbing for Homes Across the GTA

Water in a basement comes from one of three places: the sewer, the ground, or a pipe inside the house. Knowing which is the first step to stopping it.

  • Water poured through to prove it works
  • Pointers on municipal flood-protection programs
  • Pit, pump, float and check valve tested together
Steam rising from a round street sewer grate
Steam lifting off a storm sewer grate.

Diagnosis first, tested after

Signs it is time to call

Dirty water rising from a floor drain during a storm is sewer backup. Clear water seeping at the base of walls or through cracks is groundwater. Water spreading from one area with no rain outside is usually a supply leak, a failed water heater or a washing machine hose. Each takes a different repair, and the wrong one wastes money.

  • Floor drain bubbling or overflowing
  • Water lines on walls after storms
  • Musty smell and efflorescence on foundation walls
  • Sump pit filling faster than the pump empties

On the job, step by step

After the water is stopped and the area made safe, we trace the source. For sewer backups, we clear the main and camera it, then talk about a backwater valve. For groundwater, we look at the weeping tile, the sump system and downspouts. For internal leaks, we repair the failed part and check the rest of the system for similar age. Then we help you document the cause for your insurer.

Worker in rubber boots scrubbing silt and floodwater off a concrete floor
Scrubbing silt off a flooded concrete floor once the water has gone down the drain.

GTA houses and what they change

Many older GTA homes had foundation drains connected straight into the sanitary sewer, which overloads during storms. Several municipalities, including Toronto, have had mandatory downspout disconnection programs and subsidies for backwater valves and sump pumps. Low-lying neighbourhoods near creeks and ravines see more groundwater pressure. Check your city’s current program before you start.

Before you pick up the phone

Ask the plumber how they will identify the source, whether they will provide a written note on the cause, and whether a camera is included. Call (365) 387-8531 as soon as the water stops rising.

Signs you need this

  • A past flood and no backwater valve on the main drain
  • Water at the floor drain or around the furnace after a heavy storm
  • Sump pump runs constantly, cycles fast or hums without pumping

What is included

  • Check valve and union fittingsStop discharge water falling back into the pit
  • Bucket and garden hoseFill the pit to watch the float, switch and discharge
Typical cause
Overwhelmed sewers, failed pumps, open laterals
Access point
Sump pit, main drain under the floor
Proof of fix
Water poured through, valve flap seen closing

Common questions

Insurer first, or plumber?

Get the water stopped, then ring both. Shoot photos before anything is moved, and hold on to ruined belongings for the adjuster to inspect.

Related pages

Call now · (365) 387-8531