Austell is home to its own municipal gas system, runs a small city water system and sewer collection network, and requires a city permit to replace a water heater or alter plumbing and gas piping. Plumber Atlanta is a free service that routes your call to an independent plumber; it has no crews of its own. Call the number on this page to be connected with a local plumber in Austell.
Plumbing services in Austell
The city behind a regional gas system
Many people across west Cobb and Douglas County pay a gas bill to a utility named after this small city. The Austell Gas System, operating since 1954 and governed by its own board as part of the City of Austell, serves more than 58,000 customers in Austell, Douglasville, Powder Springs and parts of Cobb and Douglas counties. For an Austell homeowner, that means a gas leak goes to Austell Gas, not Atlanta Gas Light. If you smell gas, get out of the house first, then call 911 or Austell Gas at 770-948-1841, option 1.
A healing-springs settlement turned rail town
Austell began as a healing-springs settlement and grew where two Norfolk Southern rail lines split. It was incorporated in 1885, lies mostly in south Cobb with a sliver in Douglas County, and is about 15 miles from downtown Atlanta. The city itself had 7,713 people in 2020, but the Austell mailing ZIPs, 30106 and 30168, hold far more and include Six Flags Over Georgia in unincorporated Cobb. Sweetwater Creek runs through the area and flooded badly in 2009, so low-lying homes may have flood history worth asking about.
City water, but not for every Austell address
The city's Water Division serves about 3,300 customers in an area bounded by Clay Road, the Douglas County line, Noses Creek and Buttermilk Creek. Much of the unincorporated area with an Austell mailing address is likely on the Cobb County Water System instead, so check your bill. City water is bought wholesale from the Cobb County-Marietta Water Authority, drawn from Lake Allatoona and the Chattahoochee River, and disinfected with free chlorine. The city's annual water quality report links the lead service line inventory through Georgia EPD's portal.
The Sanitary Sewer Division maintains more than 51 miles of sewer and two pump stations, and the wastewater is treated at Cobb County's South Cobb plant. City Hall is (770) 944-4300; the Water Division field office is (770) 944-4336.
What the permit covers
Austell Community Development requires a plumbing permit to install, remove, alter or replace plumbing, gas or drain piping, fixtures, or water heating equipment, with applications through the city's online portal. That puts a water heater swap and any gas line work squarely under permit.
Homes
About 41% of Austell homes were built before 1980, though the median year is 1993. The older houses are where galvanized lines and worn drain pipe still turn up; newer subdivisions mostly need water heater and fixture work.
Calling
Austell differs from Atlanta on all three utilities, and a local plumber will know which applies. Call the number on this page with a short description of the problem. You will be connected with an independent plumber who works in Austell, and you agree on the price and schedule together.
Common questions in Austell
Who do I call about a gas leak in Austell?
Is every Austell address on city water?
Do I need a permit to replace a water heater in Austell?
Where is Austell's sewage treated?
Nearby cities and towns
Sources
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