Ellenwood, GA Sewer and Drain Service: Local Rules
Georgia Sewer cleans, inspects and repairs drains, sewer lines and water lines for homes in Ellenwood. 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
Ellenwood, GA at a glance
- County
- DeKalb, Clayton and Henry counties
- Public sewer
- Depends on the address: DeKalb County Department of Watershed Management; Clayton County Water Authority (CCWA); Henry County Water Authority (HCWA)
- Water
- Depends on the address: DeKalb County Department of Watershed Management; Clayton County Water Authority (CCWA); Henry County Water Authority (HCWA)
Utility rules and numbers checked October 24, 2026
Whose pipe is it in Ellenwood?
Ellenwood is split between sewer providers, so the name on your sewer bill tells you which rules apply. 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 Ellenwood
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.
Clayton County Water Authority (CCWA)
Public sewer in Ellenwood
If sewage is backing up or overflowing
- Call center 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.; the same number takes sewer backups after hours(770) 960-5200
Where your part of the line ends
You own and maintain the 4-inch lateral up to its connection with CCWA's 6-inch line, which runs in the public right-of-way or a CCWA easement; CCWA crews inspect only from the cleanout to the main.
Source: CCWA, Preventing Costly Sewer Backups, read October 24, 2026“Property owners own the lateral up to the point of connection to CCWA's sewer main and are responsible for all maintenance.”
On your side of that line? That part is the work we do. Call (404) 482-2527 or send a request.
Henry County Water Authority (HCWA)
Public sewer in Ellenwood
If sewage is backing up or overflowing
It publishes no sewer emergency line we could confirm. Use the number on your sewer bill.
Where your part of the line ends
HCWA names its after-hours line for water outages and leaks only and publishes no sewer emergency line; we didn't find its rule on where the owner's sewer line ends.
On your side of that line? That part is the work we do. Call (404) 482-2527 or send a request.
Our services in Ellenwood
Each job starts with a diagnosis; the service follows what we find.
Local rules in Ellenwood
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 Clayton County, DeKalb County and Henry County.
When sewage backs up
- In the DeKalb County part of Ellenwood, DeKalb's Department of Watershed Management takes sewer backup reports through a 24-hour emergency line and email address (DeKalb County).
- In the Clayton County part of Ellenwood, the Clayton County Water Authority takes sewer backup reports on its customer service line, including after business hours (ccwa.us).
- In the Henry County part of Ellenwood, the Henry County Water Authority's FAQ tells customers with clogged toilets or sewage coming up through drains to call a plumber to clear the private sewer pipes on their property (hcwa.com).
Your sewer line and the public main
- In the DeKalb County part of Ellenwood, county code makes the owner responsible for the sewer service connection on private property and the county for the part inside county street rights-of-way and sanitary sewer easements (Municode).
- The Clayton County Water Authority says owners own and maintain the 4-inch lateral up to its connection with the authority's system, while CCWA owns the 6-inch line in the right-of-way or its easement, and its crews inspect only from the cleanout to the main (ccwa.us).
- Henry County's sewer-use code, administered by the Henry County Water Authority, makes the owner pay all costs of installing and connecting the building sewer up to the property line (Municode).
Cleanouts (3)
- The Clayton County Water Authority requires a cleanout on every lateral near the right-of-way, may require another at the building, and warns that a broken cleanout cap can let stormwater in and cause an overflow (ccwa.us).
- The Henry County Water Authority's standard details stub its 6-inch sewer service line out to 17 feet behind the curb and place a cleanout where it meets the 4-inch house line, in a box with 'HCWA SEWER' on the lid (hcwa.com).
- 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).
Roots and pipe defects (1)
- The Clayton County Water Authority names tree roots, along with debris and grease buildup, as causes of sewer backups and advises against planting deep-rooted trees or shrubs near the private lateral (ccwa.us).
Grease and what goes down the drain (3)
- 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).
- The Clayton County Water Authority says grease sticks to sewer pipes on private property and in the street and that garbage disposals do not keep it out; it asks residents to let grease cool, pour it into a metal can and throw the can away when full (ccwa.us).
- The Henry County Water Authority calls fats, oils and grease the number one cause of sewer blockages in metro Atlanta and says garbage disposals often lead to more clogs, not fewer (hcwa.com).
Permits (3)
- In unincorporated DeKalb County, the Planning & Sustainability Department issues permits and requires plumbing permits to be submitted by a licensed plumbing contractor; inside an incorporated city, the city's own office handles permitting (DeKalb County).
- Clayton County's building permit section issues plumbing permits for residential repairs, remodels and new construction, and checks that contractors hold Georgia licenses before issuing permits (claytoncountyga.gov).
- Henry County's Building & Plan Review Department takes residential permit applications through the county's SAGESGov system, together with a combined residential permitting checklist (henrycountyga.gov).
Digging in the street or right-of-way (3)
- DeKalb's code requires excavations for a sewer connection to be barricaded and lit, excavations deeper than 5 feet to be covered when no one is working, and disturbed streets and sidewalks to be restored at the owner's expense to county specifications (Municode).
- Clayton County's code bars anyone without a written permit from the water authority's manager from uncovering, connecting to or disturbing a public sewer, and has new connections tested under the county building inspector's supervision (Municode).
- Henry County's sewer-use code requires a written permit from the Henry County Water Authority to uncover or connect to a public sewer, and requires streets and sidewalks disturbed by the work to be restored to the authority's satisfaction (Municode).
Your water line (3)
- 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).
- The Clayton County Water Authority owns the service line from its water main to the meter; the line from the meter to the house belongs to the customer (ccwa.us).
- The Henry County Water Authority owns the service line from the main to the water meter, and the customer owns the part from the meter to the house (hcwa.com).
Septic systems (3)
- Georgia DPH lists separate environmental health offices for the three main counties in Ellenwood's ZIP code: DeKalb's in Decatur, Clayton's in Jonesboro and Henry's in McDonough (dph.georgia.gov).
- The Clayton County Water Authority bills homes on septic systems for water only and homes connected to its sewer for both water and sewer (ccwa.us).
- Henry County's code lets the Henry County Water Authority require owners whose property line is within 100 feet of a public sewer to connect within 90 days of written notice, with a payment schedule possible for owners facing financial hardship (Municode).
Other local rules (3)
- Census Bureau 2020 relationship files place ZIP Code Tabulation Area 30294, Ellenwood's ZIP code, in DeKalb (about 36 percent of its land), Clayton (about 35 percent) and Henry (about 27 percent) counties, with about 1 percent in Rockdale County (www2.census.gov).
- The Census Bureau's 2020 ZIP-to-place file shows about 93 percent of ZIP 30294's land outside any incorporated city, with small pieces inside Forest Park (about 6 percent) and Stonecrest (under 1 percent) (www2.census.gov).
- Inside Forest Park, installing plumbing requires a city permit, and homeowners doing their own work can apply with an affidavit (forestparkga.gov).
Lead service line records in Ellenwood
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, 2026Clayton County Water Authority (CCWA)
Water utility
Lead service line inventory: Address lookup
CCWA submitted its inventory in October 2024 and has a public portal where you can find your property.
Look up your line The utility’s inventory page
Source: ccwa.us, read October 24, 2026Henry County Water Authority (HCWA)
Water utility
Lead service line inventory: Address lookup
HCWA links a service line inventory map where you enter your address to see your private line's status.
Look up your line The utility’s inventory page
Source: hcwa.com, read October 24, 2026Who owns the water line
HCWA owns the line from the main to the meter; from the meter to the house it is privately owned by the customer.
Source: hcwa.com, read October 24, 2026Nearby service areas
Drain or sewer trouble in Ellenwood?
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
Clayton County Water Authority (CCWA)(770) 960-5200Call center 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.; the same number takes sewer backups after hours
Henry County Water Authority (HCWA)We couldn’t confirm a published sewer emergency line; use the number on your sewer bill, or 911 if anyone is in danger.
Drain or sewer trouble in Ellenwood?
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