Inside its service area, the City of Austell maintains more than 51 miles of sanitary sewer, and its wastewater goes to Cobb County's South Cobb plant for treatment. The private building sewer from your house to the city lines is what a plumber repairs, and with about 41% of homes built before 1980, many of those pipes are aging. Call the number on this page to be connected with a local plumber in Austell.
Austell's sewer setup
Austell began as a healing-springs settlement and grew as a railroad depot town where two Norfolk Southern lines split. Its Sanitary Sewer Division runs the collection system, with 700-plus manholes and two pump stations, and its field office is (770) 944-4336. The city's water system covers a defined area, roughly Clay Road to the Douglas County line between Noses Creek and Buttermilk Creek, and many addresses with an Austell mailing name outside that area are likely Cobb County customers instead. The median home dates to about 1993, but around 41% predate 1980.
What to do right now
- Stop running water so the backup doesn't spread.
- Keep people and pets away from any sewage, and open windows.
- Check with neighbors. If several homes are affected, call the city's sewer field office; if you're outside the city system, call Cobb County Water System instead.
- If it's just your house, find the cleanout near the foundation.
- Call a plumber and note which drain backed up first.
Symptoms and likely causes
| What you notice | Likely cause |
|---|---|
| Tub fills when a toilet flushes | Blockage in the building sewer |
| Gurgling during laundry | Partial clog in the main line |
| Clog back within weeks | Roots at an old clay or cast iron joint |
| Backups after heavy rain | Groundwater entering cracks, or a surcharged main in low areas |
| Wet patch in the yard | Broken pipe leaking into soil |
Cost factors
- Depth and length of the damaged section
- What covers the line: lawn, drive, slab or trees
- Spot repair, lining or replacement
- Whether a backwater valve is worth adding on a low lot
- A City of Austell plumbing permit, required to install, remove, alter or replace drain piping, applied for through the city's online portal
Austell has a history of flooding, notably along Sweetwater Creek in 2009. Homes on low ground near the creek are good candidates for asking the plumber about a backwater valve while the line is open. In older houses, where about four in ten were built before 1980, also ask the plumber to note the pipe material on the camera report, since clay and cast iron change which repair methods make sense.
Sewer Line Repair questions in Austell
What is a sewer backwater valve, and do I need one?
Who do I call if the backup might be in the public sewer main?
My mailing address names this town, but I live outside city limits. Who handles my sewer?
What is the sewer pipe under a house this age likely made of?
More plumbing services in Austell
Sewer Line Repair nearby
Helpful guides
Sources
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