Rains on the Watchung Mountains cause a wet basement in Watchung, NJ

Watchung, with many a wet basement, is a Borough located in Somerset County, NJ. Formed from North Plainfield Township in 1926, the Borough covers 6.05 square miles (U.S. Census).

The Lenape Indians lived in the area of Watchung today. The section was known as “Hill Hills”.

An often repeated legend about Watchung included Dutch Captain Michaelsen being saved by Princess Watumpka because he had saved a Lenape Chief. The Watumpka falls in Watchung are named after the Lenape Princess.

Surface water can cause a wet basement

• Surface water is water that comes from rainfall.
• Water is erosive and it can carve a path through the earth to the foundation and cause a wet basement.
• Once that occurs, it clears the way for more water toa more eroded foundation in the future.
• That erosion paves the way for water intrusion into the basement and cleanup costs associated with a wet basement.

Surface water comes from above while the water table come from beneath your home

The water table lies underground and is the level at which the soil and gravel are completely saturated with water. There is often some seasonal change in the water table, due to rain or drought. A high water table is especially common in areas where the soil is not well drained due to high levels of clay.