device that removes accumulations of water or other liquids from a sump pit, the lowest point in a drainage system. If the sump pit is wet only intermittently (e.g., the basement sump of a house), a self-priming pump is used, generally one equipped with a mechanism to start it automatically as needed. If the sump is always wet (e.g., the oil sump in an automobile engine or the water sump in a mine), a non-self-priming pump may be allowed to run continuously.