We bought this house about 3 months ago. The side yard has always been wet. When we went to dig it up over the weekend to find the problem, we believe we found a spring under/next to the foundation. I was able to put my arm in all the way and still did not find the bottom. It is under the garage area but not sure about the house. Knock on wood, we do not have any water in our basement. We have the Pit for the sump pump, but do not have the pump. We have not needed it. Any suggestions on taking care of the spring and diverting the water?

If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

Will it eventually break down the concrete foundation?

That depends on a bunch of factors. Which way the water runs off, how well the foundation was dampproofed, the intergity of the concrete in that area, your climate...if you're in a cold-weather climate and all that water freezes. maybe it would.

Depending on the slope of your lot, you may be able to build an inlet and a drain, and pipe the water away, but it would have to discharge in a place where it wouldn't either damage your property, or worse, a neighbor's property.

Maybe you can bottle it. =))

Thanks. We live in the midwest - St Louis, MO area. We have had so much rain. The ground wasn't wet like it is now when we looked at the house to buy. So, we are hoping that once all the rain stops, the spring will either dry out or at least slow down. I know that it won't go away, but we have seen springs that flow only when there is a rain.

You're probably right, then, it may be just an occasional happening. What is the soil like in the vicinity of the spring? Sandy, or more like clay? Probably the worst case would be if it's expansive clay, but even then, it's so localized that it may not be a threat to your foundation, because it isn't a constant thing. Not all clay is highly expansive, either.

The soil is more like clay. We have put in a irrigation "box" to try to divert it away from the foundation. We are hoping this will help get rid of some of the water so the yard dries out some.