1. Test the float
Pour a bucket of water into the pit. The float should rise and the pump should start and clear it.
Finished basements and the pump that protects them
Water damage restoration in Broadlands is mostly about finished basements. Homes here were built from the late 1990s on, and many have a rec room, a bedroom or a bath below grade, all protected by a sump pump.
Broadlands is about two and a half miles southwest of Ashburn, in Loudoun County. When a pump fails, we extract the water, pull wet pad and dry the room before mold starts.
Sump pump check
Four checks keep a pump ready for the next storm. Run through them before the rainy season and before a forecast storm.
2. Check the discharge line
Look outside. The line must run away from the house and stay clear of burial and ice.
3. Add a battery backup
A backup pump runs when the power fails. Test the battery every few months.
4. Set an alarm
A high-water alarm warns you before the pit overflows, even when you are home.
Broadlands local water damage profile
| Ground and soil | Eastern Loudoun County, with shrink-swell clays. Much of Broadlands was built on wetlands. |
|---|---|
| Water utility | Loudoun Water serves households across the county. Check your bill to confirm your provider. |
| Common home types | Single-family homes and townhomes built from the late 1990s on, many with finished basements. |
| Top water risk | Sump pump failure and finished basement flooding. |
| What we check first | The sump pit, the discharge line and the carpet along the wall. |
Local risks
Eastern Loudoun has shrink-swell clay soils, and Broadlands was built largely on wetlands, according to the community's published history. Ground like that holds water, so footing drains and sump pits carry real work.
In a finished basement, the carpet and drywall sit just a few inches from the pit. When it overflows, water crosses the slab and reaches the walls in minutes. If the power is out, the pump cannot run at all, which is why a battery backup matters.
Winter adds frozen discharge lines. If the outlet is buried or iced over, the pump runs and the water cannot leave. See our sump pump failure page for details.
A bit of local history
Broadlands is a master-planned community of about 1,500 acres in eastern Loudoun County. Van Metre Homes began building it in the 1990s, and the Broadlands Association, the homeowners association, incorporated in 1995.
Because much of the land was wetland, the streams and ponds that drain it matter to every basement in the neighborhood.
Services most needed here
Streams, wetlands and the Metro
Most of the community drains through Beaverdam Run to Broad Run, a north-flowing tributary of the Potomac. Homes near the stream valleys and ponds sit close to groundwater, and a wet spring raises the water table around them.
The Ashburn Metro station on the Silver Line opened on November 15, 2022, close to Broadlands, and the new development around it adds more paved surface that sends runoff to the same drainage paths.
HOA rules and basement work
Broadlands has a homeowners association, and some projects need approval, especially anything that changes the exterior such as a window well cover or a drain outlet. Check the association rules before any exterior repair.
For drying and interior repair, you rarely need approval, but a call to the management office is a good idea if neighbors share a wall. We keep records of what we removed, which helps with repair planning.
An example call from a Broadlands finished basement
A summer thunderstorm knocks out power for two hours. The sump pump stops and the pit fills, and water spills across a finished basement with carpet and a bar area. The owners find an inch of water when the lights come back on.
We pump out the room, pull the carpet and pad and cut the drywall above the wicking line. Water from a pit is groundwater, so the work is treated as Category 2, and hard surfaces are cleaned and sanitized. Then we set drying equipment and log readings each day.
Once the basement is dry, the owners usually add a battery backup or a water-powered pump so a power outage does not repeat the loss.
Prevention for Broadlands homeowners
- Install a battery backup pump and test the battery on a schedule.
- Check that the discharge line drains away from the house and is not buried.
- Keep gutters and window wells clean before the rainy season.
- Add a water alarm near the pit.
- Raise stored items off the floor in the basement.
- Photograph the finished basement so you have a before record.
LVP, engineered floors and carpet over slab
Many finished basements here use vinyl plank or engineered wood over slab. Water can sit under those floors and keep the slab wet. We lift the planks, dry the slab and reinstall when the readings are dry. Carpet over slab is handled differently, since the pad usually has to go.
See our hardwood and LVP page for what can be saved by floor type.
Power outages and how long a backup lasts
A battery backup pump does not run forever. A typical setup keeps a pit under control for several hours of steady pumping, and fewer if the water is coming in fast. In a long outage after a storm, the battery may run down while the rain is still falling.
Homeowners pair a battery with a generator or a second battery. Check the label on your battery for its rating, test it by unplugging the main pump, and replace it on the schedule the maker gives. A pump you tested last spring may not be ready this fall.
If the pit does overflow, the first things to protect are electronics, stored boxes and anything on the carpet. Lift them onto shelves or tables and call us. The sooner the water is out of the carpet, the more of the room we can save.
Storm-season routine
Before the heaviest months, walk the property. Clear the gutters and downspouts, check the discharge outlet and test the pump and the backup. Look at the window wells and at the area around the pit for stains.
After a big storm, check the basement as soon as it is safe. A small wet patch caught early is a quick fix. The same patch found a week later is a mold risk.
What usually survives a finished basement flood is covered in Finished Basement Flooded? What Can Be Saved.
Request a call back in Broadlands
Tell us what happened in Broadlands and we will phone you during office hours.
Questions from Broadlands homeowners
BasementHow often should I test my sump pump in Broadlands?
A few times a year, and before a forecast storm. Pour water in the pit and watch the pump start and clear it.
InsuranceWill my policy cover a basement flooded by a failed pump?
Usually only when you have added a sump or water backup endorsement. General information only. Check your policy and talk to your agent.
WinterWhat if the discharge line freezes?
Thaw the outlet and clear ice and snow around it. If the pit is filling, call a plumber or us for water removal.
MoldIs mold likely after a basement flood?
It can be. Mold can start within 24 to 48 hours on wet drywall and carpet pad, so dry quickly.
Back to Ashburn Resto home. Neighboring areas we also serve include Sterling and Leesburg.
Basement flooded or pump quiet. Call and we will start with the water.
Call (571) 760-4517