Serving Hilton Head Island
Groundwater & Basement Water Intrusion in Hilton Head Island, SC
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
The lagoon behind the house came up and the yard went under.
The lagoon rising is the design working. These are storage: they take what the streets and lawns send, hold it, and let it out slowly at a tidal outfall, which is why the ground around them was set at the elevations it was. What matters is how much further the lagoon had to rise, which is why its level going into a storm is more informative than the rainfall forecast.
Who is responsible for the lagoon system?
The associations that hold the common ground, in most cases, rather than the county. That means the maintenance which keeps it working, clearing the outfalls and keeping the connections between lagoons open, is nobody's routine concern until something fails. Establishing who holds the section behind a particular property is worth doing on a dry afternoon.
The outfall is not discharging and the rain has stopped.
Check the tide before assuming a blockage. These systems discharge into tidal water and cannot flow while the level at the mouth stands above the pipe, so the lagoons hold what is in them until the tide falls. Nothing has failed. It matters because rain arriving during that window has nowhere to go, and that combination is what puts water on the low ground.
The Hilton Head Island overview carries this FAQ with the city research.