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We are getting ready to install a new shower in our basement. When we had our house built about 8 yrs ago we asked to have a shower & toilet drains roughed in. I cut off the plastic cover for the floor drain to gain access to the drain pipe. After digging about 13 inches I found the pipe. We have been having some fairly heavy rains the last week & this weekend that has been keeping our sump-pump running. But off & on I've noticed that there is water that is filling up the hole I had dug. (The water doesn't stink, so I don't think it's water that somehow leaked out/over of the toilet drain.) I'm guessing it's from the rain. We live in a area that has quite a bit of clay in the ground. The water doesn't seem to be reabsorbing into the ground.

What does anyone recommend to fill around the drain pipes when we get it all installed?

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  • You can fill around the pipe with crusher dust( also known as blue metal dust,cracker or decomposed granite) it is self supporting and well draining. Are you asking another question about the water problem? What is the question specifically?
    – UNECS
    Commented May 8, 2012 at 20:46
  • I wasn't sure if this is at all fairly common to see water pooling like we have.
    – TornadoKnight
    Commented May 9, 2012 at 12:31
  • Does your sump pump get water from under your foundation or just from the walls or a french drain or something? If the floors are finished, you may want to consider having a sump pump put in just to remove water from under the foundation. I believe they remove a section of floor, dig a hole, put in a plastic basin and back fill the outside with gravel, then any water under your foundation will filter thru the gravel and into the basic for the sump pump to pump out.
    – Zach
    Commented Jan 8, 2014 at 16:37

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To answer "how much is too much," if it's causing dampness in the basement, wet concrete, efflorescence, etc. then it's too much. If the only reason you know about it is because of the new hole, then I would monitor it over a few months. It should eventually dry out. If it doesn't then you might look at a sump pump.

As to what to fill hole with, fill it with gravel to about 4-6" below the floor surface, then finish with concrete to match the surrounding area.

It's also worth taking a look at the grading outside your house, water show flow away from your foundation. Also make sure eaves are draining far enough away from your house.

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  • One of the tests is to tape down a square of clear plastic film and see if you have condensed water under it after several set time periods. Tells you if it's minute, reasonable or needs additional drainage to drop the water table below the slab.
    – Fiasco Labs
    Commented Jun 8, 2014 at 4:05
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Does your sump pump get water from under your foundation or just from the walls or a french drain or something? If the floors are finished, you may want to consider having a sump pump put in just to remove water from under the foundation. I believe they remove a section of floor, dig a hole, put in a plastic basin and back fill the outside with gravel, then any water under your foundation will filter thru the gravel and into the basic for the sump pump to pump out.

The water filling the hole you used to locate the toilet pipe may not be a problem if the ground under the foundation is generally solid. Water will fill holes in ground that is some what saturated.

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