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Point Place Plumbing Guide: Water on Three Sides, Sumps and Backups

Page date: November 15, 2026.

Point Place sits in Toledo's northeast corner, surrounded by the Ottawa River, Lake Erie, Maumee Bay and the Maumee River. It was part of Washington Township until Toledo annexed it in 1937. (Wikipedia, Point Place (Toledo, Ohio)) Living this close to the water shapes the plumbing questions residents face, especially around basements, sump pumps and sewer backups.

The levee and high water

The City of Toledo operates a levee system built by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in 1987 to reduce flood risk in Point Place from high water on Lake Erie, Maumee Bay and the Ottawa River. From the City's levee page (City of Toledo, Levee Maintenance):

• The 4-mile system includes earthen levees, flood walls, removable flood closures, pump stations and drainage infrastructure.
• It protects about 320 acres and has prevented an estimated $41.8 million in flood damages since construction, including during the record lake levels of 1998.
• The City says that while "no levee can eliminate flood risk entirely," the Point Place levee is considered a low-risk system.
• Structures, landscaping, fences, sheds and trees within the levee easement can interfere with inspections and performance, and the City may issue fines or orders to remove encroachments.

High-water events still happen. On May 18, 2018, the City reported flooding in Point Place after Lake Erie and river levels rose five feet in three hours, with places on Edgewater Drive and 121st Street flooded. City crews placed pumps, ran six underground pump stations to move surface water from the storm system back into waterways, and closed flood gates. (City of Toledo, Point Place Flood Controls in Place)

If you plan sewer or water line work near the levee, for example replacing a lateral or service line on a lot that backs onto it, ask the City first. The levee page says encroachments within the easement need authorization or may have to be removed. (City of Toledo, Levee Maintenance)

Housing in Point Place

The library's Point Place Branch on 117th Street is in ZIP 43611. (Toledo Lucas County Public Library, Locations) American Community Survey 2020-2024 five-year estimates for that ZIP code (Census Reporter, ACS B25034/B25035/B25003):

Owner occupancy in 43611 is well above the city figure, so more residents here are dealing with their own plumbing decisions. Housing is mostly from the mid-twentieth century. The ZIP code does not match neighborhood lines exactly.

Basement water: groundwater versus sewage

When it rains hard or the lake is high, basement water can come from two sources, and they need different fixes.

Clear groundwater entering through walls or floor, or collecting in a sump pit, is handled by drain tile and a sump pump. Toledo's rules:

• Sump pump and footer drain water may not go into a sanitary sewer. (TMC 930.04(a))
• Replacement foundation drainage must discharge underground to a properly sized dry well, a storm sewer or combination sewer, or a contained landscaped area such as a rain garden, with a backflow preventer or check ball valve, and without flooding neighbors or discharging into the public right-of-way. (TMC 1745.03(d))

Sewage backing up through a floor drain during heavy rain usually means the public sewer is overloaded or your lateral is blocked. Backwater valves and standpipes keep sewage out. The City's basement flooding grant helps pay for "standpipes, check valves, sewer or plumbing modifications, and sump pumps" intended to prevent sanitary backups, for Toledo properties where the City verifies a backup from overloaded main sewers. It covers the first $1,000 and half of the next $1,000, up to $1,500 ($2,000 for Homestead Exempt or Home Energy Assistance Program recipients). It does not cover groundwater measures like wall waterproofing. (City of Toledo, Basement Flooding Grant Program)

Full detail: sump pumps and basement water and sewer backups.

Sump pump readiness for a waterfront neighborhood

General steps that matter more in a place where storms and high water arrive together:

• Test the pump by filling the pit with water before spring and before the fall storm season.
• Add a battery backup, since storms that raise water can also cut power. Test it too.
• Make sure the discharge line drains completely and cannot freeze. Toledo's average first freeze is October 17. (NWS Cleveland)
• Keep the check valve working; Toledo requires one on qualifying sump discharge. (TMC 1745.03(d))
• Store valuables off the basement floor.

During a flood

• For water in the basement, the City asks residents to call Engage Toledo at 419-936-2020 right away; help is available 24 hours a day. (City of Toledo, Basement Flooding)
• If you evacuate, keep main power off and appliances unplugged until a qualified electrician inspects them, and check gas appliances for leaks before relighting. (same source) If you smell gas, leave and call 911 and the gas utility from outside.
• Clean with soap and warm water, then a mixture of 1 tablespoon vinegar, 1 cup bleach and 1 gallon of water, then rinse; discard exposed food. (same source)

Rules and permits

Point Place is inside the City of Toledo. Plumbing permits come from the Division of Building Inspection, plumbing must be inspected before it is enclosed, and contractors must pull the permit for contracted work. (City of Toledo, When are permits required) Plumbing contractors must hold City registration. (TMC 1311.01) Sewer lateral repairs are made by a licensed sewer contractor. (City of Toledo, Basement Flooding)

Check contractors on the City's registered plumbing contractors list and see how to check a Toledo plumber.