Sump Pump in Bowie, MD

Signs your Bowie sump pump needs attention

• Water sits in the pit after a downpour and the motor never kicks on
• The pump hums but nothing comes out of the discharge pipe in the yard
• It cycles on and off every few seconds, even in light rain
• You hear water rushing back into the basin each time it stops
• A damp smell, wet carpet edges or a water line on the lower walls
• The outlet the pump plugs into keeps tripping

Local conditions in Bowie

Bowie is Prince George's County's largest city, and most residents live in the Belair community that Levitt and Sons built in the 1960s. The median home dates to 1981, so the housing runs from sixty-year-old Levitt houses to subdivisions near Bowie Town Center. Older pumps, original pits and discharge lines that empty right next to the foundation are common findings in the older sections.

Sewer service depends on the neighborhood. The City of Bowie collects and treats wastewater for sections such as Somerset, Tulip Grove, Kenilworth, Meadowbrook, Overbrook, Whitehall and Yorktown, while WSSC Water serves the rest of the city. If a basement ejector is backing up, the City says backups inside a home are the owner's responsibility and should go to a plumber; it maintains only the mains. For a problem in a City water main after hours, Bowie routes calls through its Police Communications Center at 240-544-5700. In WSSC neighborhoods, water and sewer emergencies go to 301-206-4002.

What shapes the cost

• Replacing a float switch or check valve versus the whole pump
• A sump pump versus a sewage ejector, which is heavier work
• Condition of the basin: cracked liner, missing lid or silt in the bottom
• Extending or rerouting the discharge so water stops returning to the foundation
• Adding a battery backup or a high-water alarm
• Calls on nights, weekends or during a storm

What happens when you call

The number on this page connects you with an independent plumber who works in Bowie. Say whether water is rising now, where the pit sits, and whether the pump handles groundwater or sewage from a basement bathroom. If water is near an outlet or extension cord, switch off that circuit at the panel before you step in. If the job turns into new piping, Prince George's County notes that all plumbing permits are issued by WSSC Water.