Basement Connection

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Your basement. The foundation of your home. The storer of your things. Your extra square footage of living space. And, ultimately, the big giant hole underground that you want most desperately to stay dry when it rains. Funny thing is, the dryness of your basement could depend on your neighbors. We’re all connected by sewer pipes. If you own a home, you own a sewer pipe. And, most of us don’t maintain that pipe until there’s a problem. So, you have a lot more in common with your neighbors than you thought you did after that last block party.

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Q: Who owns the sewer pipe that connects your home to your city’s sewer system in the street?

A. Your City
B. Roto Rooter
C. The State of Wisconsin
D. Milwaukee County
E. The home owner

Laterals Schmaterals

Lateral is a fancy word for a pipe. But it’s a very important pipe that takes that water you use inside your home out to the municipal sewer line. If you own a home, you own a sewer. Which means that you’re responsible for maintaining and repairing it.

Hidden underneath your basement

Did you know that there are pipes underneath your basement walls? Yep, they’re called foundation drains. Without them, you’d likely have ground water covering your basement floor. If your home was built after 1954, you have a sump pump to move water up and out. If your home is older than that, you most likely have a foundation drain connected directly to your lateral.

H2O Capture

Our Greenseams® program captures a significant amount of stormwater every time it rains. Besides Greenseams, 10 other green infrastructure strategies help protect basements, sewers, and area waterways every time it rains.