Sump Pumps in Arvada, CO

Can my sump pump drain into the sewer in Arvada?

No. The City of Arvada prohibits sump pump discharge into the sanitary sewer. The city maintains more than 450 miles of sewer pipe and sends wastewater to Metro Water Recovery for treatment, and groundwater only adds load to that system. If your pump empties into a floor drain, a laundry standpipe or a cleanout, it should be rerouted to the yard. Some areas inside city limits are on other districts, such as Clear Creek Sanitation District or Ralston Valley Water and Sanitation District, but the principle is the same: pit water belongs outside, on ground that slopes away from the house.

Is my older Arvada home more likely to have a tired pump?

It can be. Arvada grew fast after World War II, and Census survey figures put the median build year at 1979, with about 53% of homes built before 1980. A basement from that period may hold a pump a previous owner added after a wet spring, with a discharge line that was never meant to be permanent. Homeowners also maintain their own sewer service line from the house to the city main, and the city does not clean or televise residential laterals, so if you are already having a plumber look at drainage, it can make sense to look at both at once.

Which backup makes sense on Arvada water?

A battery backup with its own float runs during an outage and has nothing to do with the water system. A water-powered backup connects to the drinking water line, and Arvada's backflow and cross-connection program requires every backflow prevention assembly to be inspected and tested annually, with results entered on the city's testing portal. That yearly test is part of the decision. Whatever you choose, adding a high-water alarm is a small step that warns you before water reaches the floor.

A note on permits

The City of Arvada Building Services handles plumbing permits. A like-for-like pump swap may not need one, but new discharge piping or changes to drain connections can. The plumber can check before work starts, and work on water or sewer service in the public right-of-way needs a contractor with a separate city license.