Can Anyone Help Identify

[theberkh]

The house is old, built in 1900 or so. We've got this hole in the floor with a pipe and this valve I can turn, seems like it opens and closes it. It's by the old washer hookup.

We have an issue with it flooding the basement. I was certain I had it closed off but when it rains it floods the basement anyway. Not sure what kind of water it is, sewage or runoff. No toilet paper or anything like that laying around.

I was trying to get rid of the standing water with a vac and then it all went down quick so I guess I dislodged a clog... and then I dumped a bucket of water into the hole. The water sat until I turned the knob to open it and then it drained.

So anyway I'm just hoping someone can tell me what this is. I had a plumber here for my water heater once and they didn't know..they just told me to snake it.

Sorry I see they loaded sideways.

 

[Caduceus]

It looks like the old water service for the house. It may be abandoned on both sides and ground water is seeping through. Second guess would be that it is a drain for the little pit that it sits in and leads out as a gray water drain to leech into the soil when the pit fills.