Self cleaning sump

I have a relative who now has to take care of her own property and she has a 2'x2' cement pump housing that sits in the side of the irrigation ditch she draws her lawn water from. Her pump sits inside the housing and has a suction line that runs into a sump in the bottom or just to the bottom of the housing, there is a foot valve on the end of the suction line. She has problems with the collection of silt in the bottom and has to use a can attached to a pole to clean out the bottom periodically. This is extremely hard for her. Is the any way of setting up a self-cleaning sump or your thoughts on a possible solution. I know this is a bit vague but the water was not clear and she does not know much about the system. Not sure that the ditch ever runs clear. Appreciate any info. Thanks - Don

The ditch apparently feeds the sump by gravity. I can only imagine the details, but there should be some kind of outlet from the sump.

Is it possible to just have an opening in the bottom of the sump. If the supply of water is higher than the bottom of the sump, then why is it necessary to have a bottom in the sump? If the water in the sump is the same as the water level in the ditch, then just knock a good sized hole in the bottom of the sump.

If there is any kind of drain in the sump, maybe she could have hose at the pump with a piece of plastic pipe with a nozzle on it. Turn on the pump and use the hose/pipe/nozzle to stir up the sump and get the sludge to drain out of the sump.

Thanks for your reply. I will have to wait till the water clears to see what the set up is, it has been raining here and the irrigation ditch is like chocolate milk. I think the problem is that the sistern is actually like a well but the all "inflow" is from the 3" pipe to the ditch bottom and silt is building up in the bottom of the sistern. I will get back to you after I can take a better look and measure the set up and give you better information. Thanks - Don