Significant amount of groundwater contributing to sump pump failures and flooded basements in FM metro

(Fargo, ND) -- A local technician who services sump pumps says heavy snow this winter combined with rain this spring is causing a higher than average number of homeowners to have problems with water in their basements.

"Last year we hardly had any groundwater at all so sump pumps never really got used, they never got tested. So this year now that we are getting the thaw and the amount of rain that we are, a lot of these sump pumps are getting overused and we are seeing a lot of sump pump failures," said Jeremy Kuhn, a service technician with with Laney's Incorporated in Fargo. 

Kuhn says he and others in the industry have been very busy so far this season responding to homes where they're dealing with sump pump failures. He says on average a sump pump will last about seven to ten years. He says it's critical to perform maintenance on them each year while also testing them.