Roswell, GA Sewer and Drain Service: Local Rules
Georgia Sewer cleans, inspects and repairs drains, sewer lines and water lines for homes in Roswell. 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
Roswell, GA at a glance
- County
- Fulton County
- Public sewer
- Fulton County Department of Public Works
- Water
- Depends on the address: Fulton County Department of Public Works; Roswell Water Utility
- Plumbing permits
- City of Roswell Community Development, Building Division
Utility rules and numbers checked October 24, 2026
Whose pipe is it in Roswell?
The public sewer in Roswell is run by Fulton County Department of Public Works. 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.
Fulton County Department of Public Works
Public sewer in Roswell
If sewage is backing up or overflowing
- Sewer emergencies, North Fulton (customer service and after hours)(404) 612-3061
- Sewer emergencies, South Fulton(404) 612-3163
Where your part of the line ends
The lateral up to its connection with the public sewer is the property owner's and isn't part of the county system. Repairs to the part in the public right-of-way or a county easement are done by the county or an approved contractor, at the owner's cost.
Source: Fulton County Code § 82-195, read October 24, 2026“The building sewers or sewer service laterals up to the connection to the public sewer are the responsibility of the property owner and are not part of the sewerage system operated and maintained by the county.”
On your side of that line? That part is the work we do. Call (404) 482-2527 or send a request.
Our services in Roswell
Each job starts with a diagnosis; the service follows what we find.
Local rules in Roswell
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 Fulton County.
When sewage backs up
- Fulton County's Emergency Repairs page lists a North Fulton sanitary sewer line that takes customer service and after-hours calls, and asks callers for the location and a description of the problem (Fulton County).
- Fulton County Public Works helps clear a blockage in the right-of-way or a sewer easement only in a serious public-health situation, with the owner's plumber present and a signed release from the owner (Fulton County).
Your sewer line and the public main
- Fulton County's code makes the sewer service lateral, up to its connection with the public sewer, the owner's responsibility, and says repairs within the right-of-way or a county easement are done by the county or an approved contractor at the owner's cost (§ 82-195) (Municode).
- Fulton County's flyer states that the county will not repair sewer service laterals outside the right-of-way or easement under any circumstances (Fulton County).
Cleanouts (1)
- For lateral connections, Fulton County requires a cleanout at the edge of the public road right-of-way or county easement on the owner's property, with 6-inch pipe from the main to that first cleanout (Fulton County).
Roots and pipe defects (1)
- Fulton County says wipes, paper towels, feminine hygiene products and similar items are often at the center of sewer clogs and backups (Fulton County).
Grease and what goes down the drain (1)
- Fulton County asks residents to pour old cooking oil into a can, let it cool and put it in the trash, or to consider recycling it at a recycling center (Fulton County).
Permits (3)
- Roswell's Building Division issues permits for installing, altering, repairing or replacing plumbing; an owner qualifies only as a licensed contractor or as the occupant of the home being altered, and routine maintenance such as painting needs no permit (roswellgov.com).
- Fulton County's sewer connection flowchart has the plumber connect to the existing tap and leave it exposed for county inspection, and the county's connection authorization goes to the city's permitting department before a certificate of occupancy (Fulton County).
- For a lateral connection to Fulton County sewer, the plumber must call the county inspector at least three days before installing the lateral (Fulton County).
Digging in the street or right-of-way (2)
- Roswell's code requires a permit from the city transportation department, kept at the site, for construction work in a street right-of-way, and requires the street, sidewalk and landscaping to be restored to at least their prior condition (§§ 18.1.2, 18.1.4) (Municode).
- Roswell's version of the state utility accommodation rules lets private lines cross city right-of-way only with the city's prior consent, uses a Roswell Utility Right of Way Encroachment Permit, and allows the city to require a performance bond (§ 21.5.2) (Municode).
Your water line (3)
- Roswell residents get drinking water either from the Roswell Water Utility, which serves downtown Roswell and surrounding areas, or from Fulton County, which serves the rest of the city (roswellgov.com).
- For Roswell Water Utility customers, city code makes the curb stop and meter box city property and the pipes from the ball valve into the house private, repaired at the customer's expense (§ 24.5.11) (Municode).
- The Roswell Water Utility takes leak reports by phone on weekdays, after hours through police dispatch, or online through the City of Roswell app, and lists a separate line for Fulton County water customers (roswellgov.com).
Septic systems (2)
- Fulton County's water master plan describes the Mountain Park area in northwest Roswell as single-family homes on septic tanks only (Fulton County).
- Fulton County's Board of Health permits and inspects septic systems where public sanitary sewer isn't available (fultoncountyboh.com).
Other local rules (2)
- Roswell's water FAQ says the city's own treatment plant serves only part of Roswell, while Fulton County handles all other residents and all sewer lines in the city (roswellgov.com).
- Roswell's water utility code requires each property owner to place a shut-off valve near the street, just inside the property line, for the owner or tenant to use when a pipe bursts (§ 24.5.14) (Municode).
Lead service line records in Roswell
Water utilities must keep a public record of what each service line is made of. Fulton County supplies most of Roswell; the City of Roswell serves part of the southwest of the city. What the categories and the utility's letter mean: lead service line check.
Fulton County Department of Public Works
Water utility
Lead service line inventory: Address lookup
Fulton County first published its inventory in October 2024 and is still working down its unknown lines; it mails yearly letters for lead and unknown lines and takes owners' own reports.
Look up your line The utility’s inventory page
Source: Fulton County, read October 24, 2026Who owns the water line
The county owns the line from the main to the meter; the owner owns it from the meter to the house.
Source: Fulton County, read October 24, 2026Roswell Water Utility
Water utility
Lead service line inventory: Address lookup
Roswell has a GIS portal where residents can check the classification of their service line material.
Look up your line The utility’s inventory page
Source: roswellgov.com, read October 24, 2026Nearby service areas
Drain or sewer trouble in Roswell?
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
Fulton County Department of Public Works(404) 612-3061Sewer emergencies, North Fulton (customer service and after hours)
Drain or sewer trouble in Roswell?
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