Riverdale, GA Sewer and Drain Service: Local Rules
Georgia Sewer cleans, inspects and repairs drains, sewer lines and water lines for homes in Riverdale. 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
Riverdale, GA at a glance
- County
- Clayton County
- Water and sewer
- Clayton County Water Authority (CCWA)
- Plumbing permits
- City of Riverdale Building and Permitting Division
Utility rules and numbers checked October 24, 2026
Whose pipe is it in Riverdale?
The public sewer in Riverdale is run by Clayton County Water Authority. 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.
Clayton County Water Authority (CCWA)
Public sewer in Riverdale
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.
Our services in Riverdale
Each job starts with a diagnosis; the service follows what we find.
Local rules in Riverdale
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.
When sewage backs up
- The Clayton County Water Authority (CCWA) staffs its customer service call center weekdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and takes sewer backup reports by phone as emergencies after business hours (ccwa.us).
- CCWA field staff inspect only the stretch from the lateral cleanout to the sewer main and do not work on private property; if they find the connection damaged or failed, the owner must arrange the repair or replacement (ccwa.us).
- CCWA's 2023-2024 conveyance system report says its tap and repair crews carry small portable cameras that go in through cleanout openings to locate small blockages and decide whether a problem lies in CCWA's pipe or the customer's plumbing (ccwa.us).
Your sewer line and the public main
- CCWA says the property owner owns the 4-inch private lateral up to the point where it joins CCWA's sewer and must handle all of its maintenance, while CCWA owns and maintains the 6-inch pipe in the public right-of-way or a CCWA easement (ccwa.us).
- CCWA says that when a backup is traced to a clog or break in the private lateral, the property owner pays for the cleanup and restoration (ccwa.us).
Cleanouts (1)
- CCWA requires a cleanout on every lateral near the right-of-way and may require a second one at the building. It warns that a broken cleanout cap lets stormwater into the sewer and can cause an overflow, and notes that replacement caps are sold at home improvement stores (ccwa.us).
Roots and pipe defects (2)
- CCWA lists tree roots, which work their way into sewer pipes in search of moisture and nutrients, among the causes of blockages, backups and structural damage, and advises against planting deep-rooted trees or shrubs near the private lateral (ccwa.us).
- CCWA's hydraulic cleaning crews run root saws from jet trucks to cut roots and built-up debris out of its sewer lines during routine cleaning and on work orders (ccwa.us).
Grease and what goes down the drain (2)
- CCWA warns that grease sticks to the inside of sewer pipes both on private property and under the street, and that a garbage disposal only shreds solids without keeping grease out of the drain (ccwa.us).
- CCWA's advice is to let cooking grease cool, pour it into a metal can that goes in the kitchen trash once full, and use sink strainers to catch food scraps (ccwa.us).
Permits (3)
- Riverdale's Building and Permitting Division requires permits for plumbing, electrical and mechanical work; applications are submitted online with a current property survey, a site plan, contractor credentials and a property owner's affidavit (riverdalega.gov).
- Riverdale's code does not require a permit to clear stoppages or fix leaks in pipes, valves or fixtures, but replacing a defective drain, waste, vent or water pipe with new material is treated as new work that needs a permit and inspection (Sec. 18-13) (Municode).
- Riverdale's code requires the permit application for an emergency repair or replacement to be submitted to the building official within the next working day (Sec. 18-13) (Municode).
Digging in the street or right-of-way (2)
- Riverdale's code requires a city permit, applied for through the community development department and backed by an indemnity bond, before utility pipes or other facilities are installed, repaired or removed under a street, alley or sidewalk (Secs. 66-27 to 66-29) (Municode).
- Whoever digs up a Riverdale street, sidewalk or alley must restore it at their own cost within ten days of refilling the hole, notify the community development department in writing when done, and warrant the road repair for one year (Sec. 66-30) (Municode).
Your water line (2)
- CCWA, the water provider, owns the service line that runs from its main to the water meter; the pipe from the meter to the house belongs to the customer (ccwa.us).
- CCWA bills for all water that passes through the meter, so a leak on the customer's side is the customer's to repair; after the repair, the customer can submit a receipt and CCWA decides whether a bill credit is appropriate (ccwa.us).
Septic systems (3)
- Riverdale's code requires sewer-connected toilets wherever a sewer is accessible and allows an approved septic tank only where it is not (Sec. 74-87) (Municode).
- Riverdale's code adopts the state's septic tank installation rules and makes it unlawful to install a septic tank without a permit from the county health department (Sec. 74-88) (Municode).
- CCWA bills homes on septic tanks for water only and homes connected to its sewer for both water and sewer, so a CCWA bill without a sewer charge points to a septic system (ccwa.us).
Other local rules (3)
- Riverdale's code bars anyone from discharging stormwater, surface water, groundwater or roof runoff into a sanitary sewer (Sec. 74-93) (Municode).
- CCWA requires a sanitary backflow device on the lateral of any building whose lowest fixture, such as a basement toilet or sink, sits below the next upstream manhole; without one, the owner bears the damage and cleanup if sewage backs up (ccwa.us).
- CCWA recommends having a licensed plumber inspect the private lateral, and adding a lateral inspection to the home inspection when buying a house; it notes that plumbers can run a camera through the line to see problems (ccwa.us).
Water or sewer provider and billing can vary by address in this area. Confirm the serving utility for the property on the water or sewer bill before relying on provider-specific requirements.
Lead service line records in Riverdale
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.
Clayton 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, 2026Nearby service areas
Drain or sewer trouble in Riverdale?
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
Clayton County Water Authority (CCWA)(770) 960-5200Call center 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.; the same number takes sewer backups after hours
Drain or sewer trouble in Riverdale?
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