By Lucy NotarantonioShareNewsweek is a Trust Project memberWhen this social-media user cut into his basement floor to install a safe, he expected solid concrete—then stumbled on a hidden pocket of water that left him wondering what, exactly, was flowing beneath his home.
In a Reddit post titled "Why is there a river under my house?" by user u/painfuldrp shows an image of a neat hole in the cement exposing a pool of clear water below.
"I was putting in a floor safe and there’s a legit river under my basement floor," the user wrote. "I don’t see any pipes at all. Is it normal to have this much ground water?" In the comments, the homeowner added that the water sat "10 inches under where the top of the cement is."
...What Could Be Causing Water Under a Basement Floor?
A U.K.-based firm, ADI Leak Detection, outlines several common culprits behind water rising or pooling beneath floors. While the poster doesn’t identify a location or home age, the scenarios below match what many homeowners encounter when concrete slabs meet moisture over time.
• Cracks in the foundation: Over time, concrete can crack, and those gaps let groundwater seep up through the slab.• Subsurface plumbing leaks: A leaking pipe under the house can saturate soil and push water upward into the basement floor area.• Damaged or improperly installed flooring: Cracked grout or poorly installed flooring allows surface water to slip down and collect beneath the floor.• Clogged drainage system: Blocked gutters, downspouts, or drains can force water to back up around the foundation and rise through the floor.• High water table: If groundwater sits close to the surface, it can naturally press up and seep under or through basement slabs.• Failed waterproofing: When basement or bathroom waterproofing breaks down, moisture can penetrate through floors and walls.
Reddit Weighs In
The November 29 post has racked up over 5,400 upvotes, with commenters split between alarm and lighthearted jokes.
One user wrote: "If the water is not rising then probably not a pipe leak. Is your house below the water table? Last thing I can think of is just poorly designed drainage so water is just pooling at the low spot."
The homeowner replied: "The house is pretty far underground. The water drainage could be better. [To be honest] I need to clean my gutters."
Another commenter shared a cautionary tale from a similar-sounding property: "My century home is built on a river too. You might be my neighbor! Anyway, I bought a sump and the switch burned out within the year. It turns out I was pumping the neighborhood."
"Better get a waterproof safe," suggested a third user and a fourth wrote: "You won the jackpot!! A free indoor pool!"
The twist is that user u/painfuldrp was digging to install a floor safe for maximum protection, mainly against fire and burglars, because it is safest "encased in concrete (and in my case water)," he wrote. Now that same spot has highlighted why basement moisture needs attention early.
Newsweek reached out to u/painfuldrp for comment. We could not verify the details of the case.
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