In Fountain Hills, a sump pump usually serves a below-grade room, a pool equipment pit or a lot where storm runoff collects, and an ejector may lift wastewater from a lower-level bathroom. Water and sewer come from two separate providers, which shapes who you call. Call the number on this page to be connected with a local plumber in Fountain Hills.
Who handles what in Fountain Hills?
The Town runs neither water nor sewer. EPCOR Water serves Fountain Hills through its Chaparral City district, and the Fountain Hills Sanitary District, a separate special district, handles wastewater collection and treatment. If a sewer line in the public right-of-way or a District easement breaks or collapses, the District takes those calls at any hour at 480-837-9444. Everything on your side, from the pump and pit to the check valve and discharge pipe, is plumber territory.
The sewer is for wastewater only. A sump hose fed into a cleanout sends storm water to the District's treatment plant, so the discharge belongs in the yard.
Does a water-powered backup make sense here?
Usually not. It connects to EPCOR drinking water, and EPCOR's cross connection rules make the customer responsible for installing, maintaining and testing backflow assemblies, with tests required annually and on installation, repair or relocation, reports due within 30 days, and assemblies placed within 36 inches of the meter unless EPCOR directs otherwise. A pit that sits far from the meter makes that awkward. A battery backup gives storm-outage protection without any of it.
Why would a Fountain Hills home have a pump at all?
Most homes are on a slab, so pits are the exception. Custom homes may include a basement, a wine room or a lower-level garage with a drain pit. Pool equipment is sometimes set below the level of the yard. And when monsoon storms send runoff across a property, a low patio or courtyard can need a pump to keep water away from doors. Commercial buildings around Avenue of the Fountains may have pits in mechanical or elevator spaces.
One more local note
A pump that sits idle most of the year can fail quietly. Pour water into the pit each spring and watch it run. If the home is empty for part of the year, a high-water alarm that can notify a phone or neighbor is a small add-on next to the cost of drying out a flooded lower level. A plumber can also confirm the discharge line is clear and sloped before the storm season starts.
Sump Pumps questions in Fountain Hills
Who handles sewage coming back from the public main?
Does a water-powered backup pump need a backflow assembly?
Why does the sump pit smell?
Do many homes here actually have a sump pump?
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