The spring thaw will be upon us soon, so it's time to start thinking about how to keep water out of your basement. Cobbe's service manager Scott Smith says the first thing he'd suggest is to take the cover off the top of your sump pump to see if any water is coming in. Smith notes if there is no water it's probably a good idea to pour some in to test the pump for operation, adding this way you can also determine if your lines are frozen. He says having a sump pump in your basement is going to help take away pressure from the outside of your building or even from the water table coming up underneath the home.

Smith notes many of us here in Portage and the surrounding area have had experience with water seeping in when the water table gets high, so putting in a sump pit can help take away that moisture. He adds basically what it will do is look after the area before the water table gets high enough to start entering the house.

Smith says in the next few weeks we'll probably see temperatures rise and the snow will begin to melt. He notes Cobbe's has been starting to put in a few sump pits in the area and they've noticed that the water table is already coming up. Smith says once the water table gets too high it's extremely difficult to install a sump pit properly, adding if you're worried about water in your basement it's a good idea to start thinking about having a sump pit put in sooner rather than later.