Proper Sump Pump Drainage Outside of Home

Sioux Falls, South Dakota: The City of Sioux Falls is reminding homeowners to ensure their sump pumps are draining outside of their homes. 

“Improperly discharging sump pumps into the sanitary sewer system can result in sewage backups in your or your neighbor’s home,” said Mark Cotter, Director of Public Works. “It is illegal to attach sump pumps to floor drains or connect them to the City’s sanitary sewer system. By ensuring proper sump pump drainage, homeowners can protect their properties and contribute to the overall resilience of our community.”  

Sump pumps remove clean groundwater from homes and businesses and should be discharged into yards or streets. Properly discharged water will enter the storm drainage system where pipes are designed to handle the larger water flows created by the sump pumps and rain runoff. The storm drainage system includes the City’s curb and gutter, street inlets, large-diameter drainage pipes, drainage ditches, and detention ponds, which ultimately discharge to the Big Sioux River. 

The sanitary sewer system is only designed to convey water from toilets, sinks, showers, dish washers, and laundry machines. It includes a smaller-diameter pipe that ultimately goes to a wastewater treatment plant before discharging to the Big Sioux River. 

For additional information on properly discharging your sump pump, please visit our Sump Pump Operation page. Questions regarding sump pump discharge should be directed to the Engineering Division of Public Works at 605-367-8600.