"Toller" wrote in message
...

"buffalobill" wrote in message
ups.com...
the sump is where all the water goes when a water heater breaks.

When I fixed the pump I ran water into the sump but couldn't get the level
high enough to activate the pump; it drained away faster than I could put
it
in. So unless it is unusually wet out, that isn't a problem.

The pump is probably there for the rare circumstance when
due to heavy rains, the water table in the ground rises above
the floor. It's cheap insurance against damage. Covering it
should not affect its performance. Removing it would.
If the ground really slopes away sufficiently that the water
table could not cause damage, you may be safe removing it.
You could run a drain pipe to the sump that drops to a
lower level outside if that is possible.
Bob