What Is a Wet Well?
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Quick answer
A wet well is the buried chamber at a lift station where wastewater collects until the pumps move it onward. Pumps and float switches sit inside it, which makes it a wet, corrosive space that is not safe to enter without training and equipment.
If your property has a lift station, the wet well is the part you cannot see. It is the chamber under the lid, and almost everything that matters about the station happens inside it.
What does a wet well do?
Wastewater from the property drains into the wet well and collects there. When the water reaches a set level, a float switch tells the control panel to start a pump, which sends the water onward. When the level drops, the pump stops. The wet well gives the pumps a place to work from so they run in cycles instead of continuously.
What is inside a wet well?
- One or more submersible pumps, and a second pump in a duplex system
- Float switches that sense the water level, including one for the high-water alarm
- Discharge piping, which leads to the force main
- Often a lid, a hatch or risers for access
Why does a wet well need cleaning?
Grease, solids and wipes collect in the wet well and foul the pumps and floats. Regular pumping and cleaning removes the buildup before it causes a failure.
Is it safe to enter a wet well?
No, not without training and the right equipment. A wet well is a confined space that can hold harmful gases and low oxygen. Leave the lid closed and call a contractor.
Related septic terms
Quick questions and answers
- Is a wet well the same as a septic tank?
No. A septic tank stores and treats wastewater. A wet well only collects it briefly so pumps can move it somewhere else.
- Where is the wet well?
It is the buried chamber under the lid at the lift station, often near a control panel with a light and horn.
- Who cleans a wet well?
Brown Aerobic pumps out and cleans lift station chambers. Call 832-789-5357.
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