Decatur, GA Sewer and Drain Service: Local Rules
Georgia Sewer cleans, inspects and repairs drains, sewer lines and water lines for homes in Decatur. Below: who to call first when sewage backs up, where your part of the line ends under the local provider's rules, and what we do about it.
Georgia Sewer — Drain & Sewer Specialists · Operated by Alpha Plumbing and Sewer, LLC
Decatur, GA at a glance
- County
- DeKalb County
- Water and sewer
- DeKalb County Department of Watershed Management
- Plumbing permits
- City of Decatur Design, Environment and Construction Division
Utility rules and numbers checked October 24, 2026
Whose pipe is it in Decatur?
The public sewer in Decatur is run by DeKalb County Department of Watershed Management. The provider answers for its main and its part of the line; the line on your side is the property owner's, and that is the part we work on. More on how the line is split: who is responsible for your sewer line.
DeKalb County Department of Watershed Management
Public sewer in Decatur
If sewage is backing up or overflowing
- 24-hour emergency line(770) 270-6243
Where your part of the line ends
The owner maintains and repairs the sewer service connection on private property; the county maintains it within county street rights-of-way and sanitary sewer easements.
Source: DeKalb County Code § 25-220, read October 24, 2026“The property owner shall be responsible for maintenance and repair of building sewer service connections to the public sanitary sewer system on private property. DeKalb County shall be responsible for maintenance and repair of building sewer service connections within county street rights-of-way and sanitary sewer easements.”
On your side of that line? That part is the work we do. Call (404) 482-2527 or send a request.
Our services in Decatur
Each job starts with a diagnosis; the service follows what we find.
Local rules in Decatur
What the city and its utilities publish about the jobs we do here, each with its source (checked in October 2026). The provider's full rules are on DeKalb County.
When sewage backs up
- Decatur's public works FAQ says DeKalb County handles the city's water and sewer problems and directs residents to the county's online request form for water and sewer repairs (decaturga.com).
- DeKalb County's Department of Watershed Management keeps a 24-hour emergency phone line and an email address for reporting sewer backups (DeKalb County).
- Under DeKalb Watershed's sewer overflow response plan, the crew answering a report first works out whether the problem is in county pipe or on private property, and when a building backup is not county-related the crew advises the owner to get a plumber (DeKalb County).
Your sewer line and the public main
- DeKalb County code makes the property owner responsible for maintaining and repairing the sewer service connection on private property, while the county handles the part inside county street rights-of-way and sanitary sewer easements (Municode).
- DeKalb Watershed's response plan counts the pipe from the property-line cleanout to the house as the owner's private line, and treats the whole line from the house to the county main as private when there is no property-line cleanout (DeKalb County).
Cleanouts (2)
- When a home has no right-of-way cleanout or other access for county crews, DeKalb's response plan says the owner is notified that a plumber must install one to code, and the owner stays responsible for clearing the private lateral (DeKalb County).
- DeKalb's response plan says that where a lateral or cleanout is 4 inches or smaller, the owner must bring it up to the county code's 6-inch minimum (DeKalb County).
Roots and pipe defects (1)
- For blockages in the county-maintained lower lateral between the right-of-way cleanout and the main, DeKalb's response plan has crews identify the cause, such as roots, debris from the main or a collapse, and clear it by rodding or pressure washing where that restores flow (DeKalb County).
Grease and what goes down the drain (2)
- DeKalb Watershed warns that grease poured into sinks, toilets or disposals coats the pipes, clogs the sewer and can back up into homes; it asks residents to put cooled grease in a sealed container for the trash and wipe greasy pans with a paper towel (DeKalb County).
- DeKalb's sewer code requires grease, oil and sand separators for wastes above its fat, oil and grease limit, but not for private living quarters (Municode).
Permits (2)
- Decatur requires a separate trade permit to install, alter, repair or replace any sewer, drainage or plumbing system, whatever the job costs (decaturga.com).
- Decatur accepts permit applications and inspection requests only through its online permitting portal, not on paper or by email (decaturga.com).
Digging in the street or right-of-way (3)
- Decatur's code requires a permit and a bond from the city engineer for work in a city street or right-of-way, sewer and water connections included, and the street must be restored to its prior condition within seven days of the start of work (Municode).
- Decatur's code makes plumbers who dig in a street or sidewalk for a sewer connection fill and compact the trench so it will not settle, with the city engineer approving the fill, and keep the hole guarded by day and lit at night until it is declared safe (Municode).
- DeKalb County code bars anyone from uncovering, connecting to or disturbing a public sanitary sewer without a written permit from the county's watershed department (Municode).
Your water line (2)
- DeKalb Watershed owns and maintains the water service line from the main through the meter; from the meter to the house plumbing, the line belongs to the property owner (DeKalb County).
- DeKalb Watershed's 24-hour emergency line and email also take reports of water main breaks, loss of water service and water quality problems (DeKalb County).
Other local rules (3)
- Decatur requires a pre-application meeting with the city arborist before anyone files for a plumbing or utility permit that would remove trees or disturb a protected tree's critical root zone (decaturga.com).
- Decatur owns and maintains the stormwater structures in its rights-of-way and accepted easements, and its Design, Environment and Construction Department takes reports of storm drain blockages and flooding (decaturga.com).
- DeKalb County code bars connecting roof downspouts, exterior foundation drains, area drains or other surface runoff to a building sewer that drains to the public sewer (Municode).
Lead service line records in Decatur
Water utilities must keep a public record of what each service line is made of. What the categories and the utility's letter mean: lead service line check.
DeKalb County Department of Watershed Management
Water utility
Lead service line inventory: Address lookup
DeKalb reported no lead pipes in its inventory and has a "Check Your Line" map and a form to report your own line.
Look up your line The utility’s inventory page
Source: DeKalb County, read October 24, 2026Who owns the water line
DeKalb is responsible for the line from the main to the meter, the meter included; the owner for the line from the meter to the plumbing inside.
Source: DeKalb County, read October 24, 2026Nearby service areas
Drain or sewer trouble in Decatur?
Tell us what the drains are doing, where and since when.
Call (404) 482-2527Or send a service request online
Operated by Alpha Plumbing and Sewer, LLC
Sewage coming out of a manhole or at the street?
Who to call first
DeKalb County Department of Watershed Management(770) 270-624324-hour emergency line
Drain or sewer trouble in Decatur?
Call and describe what is happening, where, and since when — the visit starts from there.
Georgia Sewer — Drain & Sewer Specialists · Operated by Alpha Plumbing and Sewer, LLC