Water Line Repair in Atlanta, GA

Where the City stops and you start

The City of Atlanta Department of Watershed Management (DWM) is responsible for the service line from the water main to the meter. Everything from the meter to the house belongs to the property owner. If water is surfacing in the street or around the meter box, report it to ATL 311 at 404-546-0311 first. If the wet spot is between the meter and your foundation, that is your line.

Signs the buried line is leaking

• A soggy or greener strip of lawn along the path to the house
• Pressure that fell at every faucet at once and stayed low
• A higher water bill with no change in use
• Sputtering or cloudy water that started suddenly

To narrow it down, stop all water use and check whether the meter still moves. Then close the main valve at the house. If the meter keeps turning, the leak is most likely in the line between the meter and the house, or in the valve.

Lead and pipe material

DWM says it has not identified any lead service lines in its system so far, but it is still finishing its inventory of service line materials, and customers can look up their line's status on the Georgia EPD transparency dashboard. On the private side, older intown homes can still have galvanized pipe, which rusts inside and loses pressure over time. If a repair exposes old pipe, ask about replacing the whole run.

Repair or replace

A single leak on sound pipe can be dug out and fixed at that spot. Repeated leaks, an undersized line or failing material usually justify a full replacement, and trenchless methods can sometimes reduce digging under driveways and landscaping. Plumbing permits for replacement work in one- and two-family homes are technical permits from the City of Atlanta Office of Buildings, applied for online.

Before digging

Call 811 before any trench is opened so public utilities can be marked. Lines you own on your property, such as irrigation piping, a sewer lateral or a gas line to a grill, may not be marked and have to be located separately.

What affects the cost

Length and depth of the line, soil and roots, hardscape in the way, repair versus replacement, and whether lawn and driveway restoration are included all shape the price.