Dig a hole(s) just outside of the elevator shaft that are deeper than the shaft. Put a sump pump(s) in the hole(s), cover them with a grate or metal cover and forget about them.

With a deeper hole just outside the elevator shaft................that is where the water will go. Then it's just a matter of pumping the water out of the hole. The added benefit is, that the water will not be contaminated with oil from the elevator...................it will just be water.

Since water will always take the path of least resistance, you just need to provide it with an easier place to go than your elevator shaft.

I think the painter has a good point. It might take more than one hole, or some pipe network on the "water" side, but this is done to help keep basements dry regularily.

Maybe you do this temporarily, to give you time to install a proper sump/pump system in the elevator shaft.

You could always drill a hole to let it go away.

Re-read the original post. Drilling a hole will let water in, not out. He's by the ocean.

I should re-read? ok, let's do that;

"Only 2 inches of water ever show up, but it seems to never go away"

plus "oil in the water"

Scenario 1. The bottom 2" once leaked until oil saturated/sealed it. The filling is driven by a rise in water table somewhere above 2" when the capacity of the pumps is exceeded.

I.e. it fills more than observed, then drains to the now waterproofed level.

Hence my ^{_{(comprehension challenged)}} comment.

But folks are also permitted to 'think further'.

Like; fit a one way 'flapper drain' in the hole.

Or; if the OP addresses the oil and/or surplus grease accumulation/fire hazard, it might 'unseal', so solve both problems.

Scenario 2. the existing pumps need to be '2" deeper', but I doubt it. ^{_{(spelling out will cost extra)}}

^{_{So Lyn, do I still need to "re-read"?}}

Re-read, no you should quit this thread.

You have not only imagined a condition that has never been described by the Op, you have now imagined a hole in the shaft that does not exist so that you can, "fit a one way 'flapper drain' in the hole."

There is no hole. And if the OP drills one, the water will pour in, by his own assessment.

Oh. I thought the OP said "My fear is ..."

But at least I'm not 'imagining' the OP has the depth distance and flow measurements that turn "fear" into "assessment".

I think Mark has asked a good question on code, which is pertinent to the above.

But, so far as you kicking me off;

You'd have better grounds than 'imagining' if I had suggested something specifically contrary to code covered in the OP

Like a pump in the well

I'm growing weary of this.

Maybe the Op can glean some worthwhile advice from all the fluff you have presented.

The solution should be right there, "on the beach". His can't be the only sump that is flooded. What have his neighbors done?

Self inflicted.

BTW it actually says "1 block from the beach" - so is that a house block or city block?

Why would a sump pump not be allowed in the elevator shaft?

I'm guessing the sump pump may be considered a fire hazard.

Contact some local "industrial grouting" and ask about "injection grouting" around the structure to STOP the water getting in.

There are some pretty smart materials out there to inhibit water flow.

I am currently investigating similar to inhibit water entry into damaged underground sewer pipes.

Stopping water entry could be more cost effective as it eliminates the maintenance and running costs for motors, pumps and all the rest.

There are some really good answers here. If you must pump, a peristaltic pump is a good candidate. They come in all sizes and are very simple to maintain.

That would work great...............I don't think it would fly in southern California though.

Water is a precious commodity and I don't think they would let him use water to suck water. There's also the oil problem. With oil in the water, everything on the discharge end would have to be contained, and knowing CA, it would probably be considered toxic waste.

With the rabid environmentalists out there, I think whatever his solution is, it's going to involve coming up with a way to completely keep the water out. Once it gets in and mixes with the oil, his removal, containment and disposal costs could get very expensive.

Use saltwater then (: CA has quite a bit of that and oily water is used for slurry; asphalt sealing is much in demand so slurry water is not difficult to dispose that way.

Don't move to California.................they're not real big on things that make sense.

I could tell you the story about an old church I did in Santa Cruz. It wasn't a church anymore, it was some kind of meditation center dojo or something. They found out the paint I was scraping and sanding on the outside was lead paint. These people started crying real tears about the earth and how I was destroying it...........................I was kind of wishing I had my gun with me. Anyway, you'd be amazed.

I ended up catching the paint chips in plastic, and used them to fill pot holes in my driveway.

Fortunately, the people that were screaming and crying didn't own the building, they were renting and I was working for the owner.

We had similar problem in our lift shaft. It was observed that water was seeping from our near by drainage pipe which was clogged. Please check the source of water, may be you have same problem. After cleaning the drainage pipe and waterproofing lift shaft the problem is sorted out.