Dear PoP – Fixing Basement dampness

Photo from basement dig out post

“Dear PoP,

I am in the process of getting the basement watertight. One way I am doing this is by removing half of drywall in the inside and repair the brick and paint it dry-lock. The other part is to get the soil in front of my basement windows removed and make it the same level as my basement entry way and build a retaining wall; however, I know there is water line that will be there probably 6″ or so from the basement floor. With soil gone, what do people do to winterize the newly exposed outside portion of the main water line?”

I’d also be curious to know what other steps people take to keep their basements dry. I don’t know about a water line but I’ve been running a dehumidifier 24 hours a day. I wish there was a less expensive solution. What do you guys do?