Marietta, 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 Marietta Water in Marietta. If sewage is spilling from a manhole or the street, or the problem is a broken pipe in the right-of-way, that is Marietta Water's to handle; for the line from your house toward the main, call us at (404) 482-2527.

Marietta is one of the Cobb County cities with a sewer utility of its own. Marietta Water handles water distribution and sanitary sewer collection, but not storm drains (Marietta Power & Water FAQ). Its written policy spells out what happens with a blockage under the street: the owner clears it, but the city steps in on its own side when the plumber on the job can't, or when the pipe itself has failed. Below is how that works and how we fit into it.

Marietta Water says it has been part of the community for more than 100 years and provides water and sewer service, including protecting the environment during wastewater collection. It buys finished drinking water from the Cobb County-Marietta Water Authority (Marietta Water). The utility sits under the Board of Lights and Water (BLW), which the city code authorizes to build, maintain and operate the city's water, sewer and electric systems (Marietta Code § 6-4-010).

Not every Marietta address is on Marietta Water's sewer. The city's development code says sewer connections are reviewed by the governing utility, which it names as either Marietta Water or Cobb County Water System. The same section requires connection to the public sanitary sewer and allows an exemption from connecting only in special circumstances, with approval from the utility and the Cobb County Board of Health, when the utility finds sewer service unavailable (Marietta Code § 732.03). Check which utility bills you for sewer. If it is Cobb County Water System, the Cobb County page applies instead of this one.

Marietta Water is also replacing aging pipe. In May 2026 it began replacing about 3,800 feet of 8- to 12-inch sewer mains in the area around Wellstar Kennestone Regional Medical Center, with completion expected in early 2027 (City of Marietta).

Inside city limits, the City of Marietta's building division issues plumbing permits, and it says a plumbing permit is required for all work on a plumbing system, including sewer lines. Applications go through the city's online SagesGov system; after the permit is paid, processing takes one to two business days. The city began phasing out virtual inspections on November 1, 2024, and now performs inspections in person (Plumbing Permits).

Sewer and water line work is plumbing, and Marietta's homeowner permit page says homeowners cannot apply for plumbing, electrical or mechanical permits: the licensed professional doing the work applies. The same page explains how to tell whether a property is inside city limits: a tax district of "(4) MARIETTA" on the county parcel record means city, and "(9) UNINCORPORATED" means Cobb County's jurisdiction (Homeowners Building Permit). If your job needs a permit, we tell you before work starts.

Exposing a service line means digging. Georgia 811 asks for a free locate request at least three business days before any digging, and state law requires one before digging with mechanized equipment. The sewer utility's duty under that law is to help locate laterals up to the edge of the public right-of-way, not across your yard (Georgia 811; Georgia dig law).

Marietta Water calls grease buildup one of the major causes of sewer blockages and the overflows that follow. Its grease control program requires traps or interceptors at restaurants, schools, churches, daycares and other food preparation sites, and its environmental compliance staff inspect more than 315 facilities in the city (Grease Control). At home, the city's advice for preventing spills is to put grease in the trash rather than the drain, plant trees away from sewer lines and keep garbage out of manholes (Wastewater Overflow Prevention).

Rainwater is not allowed in the sewer. Marietta's code bans discharging stormwater, groundwater, roof runoff, subsurface drainage or cooling water into any sewer (Marietta Code § 6-16-090), so a downspout or yard drain tied into your sewer line needs to come out. For roots and household habits, see tree roots in sewer lines and what not to flush or pour.

Before anyone digs toward the street, it pays to know what Marietta Water will handle: under its FAQ, a failed pipe in the right-of-way or a BLW easement is the department's to repair, and a stubborn blockage there can be cleared by its crew with the plumber on site. We start with drain cleaning or main sewer line cleaning to restore flow, then a sewer camera inspection to find where the problem sits. For roots we do root intrusion removal, and for a damaged private line, sewer line repair or replacement. Call Georgia Sewer at (404) 482-2527.