When discharging water, make sure the discharge hose delivers the water several feet away from the house to a well-drained area that slopes away from the house. If the hose outlet is too close to the house foundation or on flat ground, the water may simply recycle to the house drain tile.

Don’t run sump pump water into a rural septic system because the water may saturate the drain field. In cities, running sump pump water into the sanitary system may be illegal. It may overload the system and cause sewage backup.

Before pumping, make sure floodwaters have receded and the ground is not saturated with water. Otherwise, outside pressure can collapse the walls if the water is suddenly drained.

Tips for Cleaning Flooded Floors

• Shovel out the worst of the mud and silt before it dries.
• Scrub floors. Remove mud and silt from corners, cracks, and crevices.
• Drain water by removing baseboards and drilling holes between studs a few inches above the floor.
• Give floors a final, thorough washing with a nonsudsy cleaning product.

Used by permission of eXtension.org.

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