Feel like I have to say this in every post - new homeowner, don't know much, in the process of understanding how things work in the house.

Here is what I do know:
We have a sump pump in the basement. The bathroom in the basement apparently flushes into the sump pump tank. The sump pump pumps stuff upwards (upside-down U) into a downward-flowing bigger pipe that is cut into the exterior wall & is underground. The drain from the kitchen also routes to this bigger pipe. I'm assuming this is going to the sewer.

What I am unsure on:
The drain spouts that come from the roof & down to the ground don't just let the water out when it meets the ground. The drain spout keeps going into the (cemented sidewalk) ground. Now, where does this water go? Directly into the sewer somehow? Or into the sump pump tank? Is there a way to find out without chopping up the sidewalk & digging? It's hard to tell when the sump pump tank is being filled if the water isn't dirty enough to change the color within the tank.

There is also a small maybe 6 inch hole in the basement ground that looks like it's filled with water...where is this water going?

I know it might be hard to say exactly what I have in my house, but wondering if what I've described is something common enough that there's probably a generic explanation.

 

The sump pump in your basement is actually a sewage ejector. Totally a separate system from foundation drainage. The large pipe is the sanitary sewer to the city system or septic tank depending on what you have. As for the downspouts. In many older homes the downspouts did drain to the foundation drains which in many cases also drain into the sanitary sewer. That is illegal by modern code, but was common practice in mid century construction. You more than likely have a floor drain in the basement floor and the water you are seeing is water in the trap which is a good and protects from sewer gases. Post some pictures as that may help.

Regards

 

Ok, that makes sense, this house was built in the 50s. I've just never seen a downspout cemented into the ground. So you are saying it's likely that the downspout is directly connected to the sewer. So does that mean I probably have 3 sewer line connections (one for the basement bathroom ejector/kitchen, one for the downspouts, and then another for foundation drainage)? Is it common for all of this to be under cement? How would I actually maintain this if it's under cement?

 

Modern sewer sytems have separate sewage and storm water piping and are treated differently by your city/town.
It has been common practice over the years to cut the drain pipes off where they enter the house and redirect them onto the lawn and away from the house.

 

Ok, I guess I will see if I can find out what is done here in terms of handling storm water. I've always wondered what lies beneath the ground. If I don't know how a system works, I feel like I'm not doing my part in taking care of the house. Thanks for the info.

 

If your gutters are connected to the sewer system you'll likely hear water running in/thru the drain pipes in your basement during a rain storm.

 

No you have one sewer connection. My mom and dads house ( also in IL in the chicago burbs) had the downspouts connected to those clay pipes you talk about. My dad disconnected them years ago as all they did was go into the sump pump which discharged into the laundry sink. When the added onto the house they piped the sump pump outside and directed the drain spouts out onto the lawn. A sump pump and sewage ejector will look very similar because they both sit in a sump and look alike. They serve two different purposes. A sump pumps only job is to remove clear clean water from under and around your basement before it builds up enough pressure to come in. A sewage ejector on the other hand is used when plumbing fixtures are below the sewer lateral that leaves the house. Its purpose is to remove raw sewage from the toilet/tub/ sinks and send it on down the line. A sewage ejector will have two pipes, one for discharge and one connected to the vent stack as it is supposed to be a sealed pit. More than likely your downspouts either connect to the sewer line outside the house, or into that sewage ejector pit. Sump pumps came into being around the 50's and for many years many of them discharged into the sanitary sewer so you could in theory have a sump pump serving both functions. Id check with a plumber.

 

Thanks THH2079 & marksr, all good information for a newbie like me. Haven't had rain here in a while but I will use my ears next time it does. Not sure if I would want the water going onto the (tiny) lawn, my lawn has very hard soil that whenever I water just results in small puddles.

 

Do you have storm sewers in your neighborhood? Ideally, that is where the downspouts should eventually drain. Paved streets with gutters and drain grates? You can run piping underground to the street and dump the rainwater unless local codes prohibit doing so.

 

Yes, did some more searching & basically I found out that downspouts used to connect into the sewer line (there is a combined sewer/stormwater system here)....but not directly.

Supposedly I am supposed to have separate lines coming out the house to go to the sewer but there should be only 1 connection actually going to the sewer called the lateral. But for some years now, they have been advocating homeowners disconnect the downspouts from the lateral trunk & redirect onto the lawn. It is not illegal to keep it but I bet new house constructions don't do it or it's part of a new code maybe.

Thanks, this has helped me to understand how waste & stormwater is taken away from my house, and that nowadays redirecting stormwater onto "green" areas is now the advisable thing to do.