# Previous owner pumping INTO old well?



## RobertThoreson (Dec 19, 2017)

So I live in town. Just bought our house and still adventuring around. Recently I found the old well under some steps in the basement. I thought it was a drain till I shined a light down it a realized I was extremely deep. If noticed on the floor there are rub marks from what looks like a hose running from the sump drain to the well like he was pumping the sump into the well for a long time. Should I be worried?


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## nealtw (Dec 19, 2017)

There might be some rules in the area on how to close a well and they may not like you adding surface water into an aquifer.


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## Wuzzat? (Jan 4, 2018)

RobertThoreson said:


> pumping the sump into the well


Was the water level in the sump the same as the level in the well?

Is exhausting the sump water to the outside particularly difficult?

This gets complex.

"
Do not discharge your sump pump into window wells. This will cause the water to circulate back into your home, causing damage. 

Please do not connect your sump pump to the sanitary sewer system. It only takes a dozen of these connections to overwhelm the system and flood basements throughout your neighborhood during heavy rains.

City regulations require that your sump pump discharge into the yard or a storm sewer.

Waivers for sump pump discharge
Seasonal: A seasonal waiver allows property owners to discharge directly into the sanitary sewer between October 1 and March 31, when reduced flows are present in the sanitary sewer collection system. This is typically accomplished through a two-way discharge connection
"


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## K_M (Feb 15, 2018)

Hi- Most states want unused wells to be decommissioned. 
The method may vary from state to state.
Wisconsin has a webpage about this:
https://dnr.wi.gov/topic/wells/fillingsealing.html



> Abandoned or unused wells pose a great threat to the safety and quality of groundwater drinking water supplies. An unused well provides a direct path for contaminants and pollutants to the underground aquifers that supply working wells.
> 
> Wells must be properly filled when they are removed from service. If your property is served by a municipal drinking water system, a municipal well filling and sealing ordinance may also require you to obtain a permit or permanently fill and seal any private wells on your property. Drillholes and exploratory boreholes must also be properly filled and sealed when they are no longer in use.
> 
> ...


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