Buying a house that has a natural spring flowing through the basement out to a pond. What to do?
Would not (in concept) be a deal-breaker for me. Specific case might vary with detailed examination.
If you want to go high-falutin' Frank Lloyd Wright's Fallingwater had a spring in the entryway as well as being built over a stream (can't do that in new construction...)
The one you are looking at probably served as basic refrigeration and drinking water supply when built - stick the milk cans in the trough of cool water.
Critter control would normally be (this era) by having stainless steel screen that the water flows out through, but critters don't come upstream through.
I would not &quot;vent&quot; the covering to the house - that would defeat the point of having the covering.