Serving Stockton
Groundwater & Basement Water Intrusion in Stockton, CA
Basement seepage, failed sumps, and hydrostatic pressure against the foundation are extracted and dried, and the path from the ground is identified so the loss does not repeat. Groundwater and basement seepage are extracted and dried only after the path from the soil is identified — a wall, a slab, a drain, or a failed sump. Drying the interior without stopping that path returns the same water to the same floor.
Frequently asked questions
How much should the levees factor into how we think about the house?
A great deal, because they are the reason the ground is usable rather than a refinement on top of it. On protected land that sits low relative to the water beside it, the condition and maintenance of the works determine the risk far more than any storm forecast. It is worth knowing which district maintains the levee nearest you and what its condition assessments say, which is public information and rarely looked at until it matters.
The ground seems to have dropped over the years.
In parts of this landscape it has, and it is a documented process rather than an impression. Peat soils oxidize and compress once they are drained, so land that was farmed for a century sits lower than it did. The practical consequence is that the margin between the ground and the water beside it shrinks over time, and historical experience of a property understates its current exposure.
Why does interior rainfall become a problem when the river is high?
Because it cannot flow away by gravity. On protected land the local rainfall has to be pumped out over the levee, and when the river is high the pumps are working against it. Rain falling inside the protected area during that period accumulates until the pumps catch up. The levee can be performing perfectly while a neighborhood inside it floods, and the two facts are not in conflict.
This FAQ belongs to the Stockton page; it is repeated here.