Emerson, GA Sewer and Drain Service: Local Rules

Georgia Sewer clears, inspects and repairs the private side of sewer and water lines for homes served by the City of Emerson Water and Sewer Department in Emerson. Sewage coming out of a manhole or a problem in the city's mains is the department's to handle, so call the city for that; the building sewer from your house is the part we work on.

Emerson is a small Bartow County city with its own spring-fed water system and its own sewage treatment plant. Its sewer doesn't reach every lot in town, and part of its flow now goes to Cartersville for treatment, so the first thing to check is whether your home is connected at all.

The City of Emerson Water and Sewer Department runs both utilities. Drinking water comes mainly from Moss Spring, southwest of town, and areas outside the reach of that system get water the city buys from Bartow County under an intergovernmental agreement (Emerson Water & Sewer).

Sewage goes to the city's Henry Jordan Wastewater Treatment Plant on Joe Frank Harris Parkway, completed in 2002, which uses an extended aeration biological process and discharges treated water into Pumpkinvine Creek. The collection system serves most of the developed areas within the original city limits, in one sub-basin draining south to Pumpkinvine Creek and another draining north to the Etowah River. The city has also finished the Red Top Sewer, a privately funded gravity trunk line with three pumping stations that carries sewage to the City of Cartersville for treatment; Cartersville agreed to accept up to 1.1 million gallons a day (Emerson Wastewater). The Cartersville page covers that city's own system.

Check your city utility bill for a sewer charge, or ask the department whether your address is connected.

The City of Emerson Community Development Department is the city's building office, and it takes inspection requests online (Emerson Community Development). City code requires a permit and fee for building, electrical, plumbing, mechanical and gas work, has the city examine a system before issuing a permit to alter or repair it, and calls for inspections during the work and a final inspection when it's done (Emerson Code §§ 103-27, 103-28).

For a sewer connection, the applicant for the building sewer permit must tell the city when the building sewer is ready for inspection, and the connection and testing take place under city supervision (Emerson Code § 30-117).

Whoever digs for a new connection should file a free Georgia 811 request at least three business days ahead, as Georgia 811 asks; the request is mandatory under state law for digging with mechanized equipment (Georgia 811; Georgia dig law). Emerson's obligation under that law is to help find laterals up to the right-of-way edge, not on private land. If the job needs a permit, we tell you before work starts.

Emerson's code bars connecting roof downspouts, foundation drains, areaway drains, garbage drains or other sources of surface runoff or groundwater to a building sewer that drains to the public sewer, unless the city approves it (Emerson Code § 30-117). For grease, wipes and other things to keep out of the drain, see what not to flush or pour.

Owners of homes in Emerson must connect to the city sewer within 90 days of an official notice when a public sewer is within 200 feet of the property line. For a single-lot home whose nearest sewer connection is more than 200 feet away, the city considers waiving the connection requirement case by case (Emerson Code § 30-113).

Homes on septic deal with Bartow County Environmental Health, one of Northwest Georgia Public Health's county offices (NW Georgia Public Health offices). The district says an existing septic system is evaluated before loan closings and refinancing, swimming pools and home or structure additions, and it posts the application for repairs and modifications (NW Georgia Public Health). Septic or sewer: how to tell helps if you aren't sure which you have.

For Emerson homes on city sewer, our technicians work on the building sewer that the city code leaves to the owner. We handle drain cleaning and main sewer line cleaning for backups, sewer camera inspection before a purchase or remodel, sewer line repair and replacement, and water line repair on your property. We do not pump septic tanks; for a septic home, Bartow County Environmental Health is the first call. For a sewer or drain problem, call Georgia Sewer at (404) 482-2527 or request service.