Hydro Jetting in Brookhaven, GA

Is the sewer pipe in my yard DeKalb's problem or mine?

It depends on where the clog is. The City of Brookhaven doesn't run water or sewer; DeKalb County Department of Watershed Management owns and operates the sanitary sewer system, and the city's public works page lists manholes, pipes and service laterals among DeKalb's assets, adding that only DeKalb or its contractors may work on them. The city also says homeowners are responsible for the systems on their own property. In practice, a plumber clears the drain piping in and around the house up to the cleanout, and anything that looks like a failure in the county's portion gets reported to DeKalb. Sewer spills go to DWM at 770-270-6243. If only your house is backing up, start with a plumber; if the street is affected, start with DeKalb.

Why do older Brookhaven homes clog more often?

Pipe material and age. Census survey figures put about 30% of Brookhaven's housing before 1980, including close to 9% from the 1950s. Houses in Historic Brookhaven and Lynwood Park from that era often have cast iron drains, which grow a rough layer of rust and scale inside, or clay lines with joints that roots can work into. That rough surface traps grease and paper, so a line that was cabled clean can close up again within weeks. Jetting cleans the full circumference of the pipe, which is why it tends to last longer. Newer homes and condos around Town Brookhaven and along Peachtree Road mostly have plastic drains, and when those clog the cause is usually grease or wipes.

Will jetting damage an old cast iron line?

Not if the pipe is still sound. The concern is pipe that is already badly corroded or cracked, where any cleaning method can expose a weak spot. That's why plumbers often run a camera through an older Brookhaven line first, then choose the nozzle and pressure. If the camera shows a broken section, the fix is a repair rather than more cleaning, and Brookhaven requires a city permit for construction work, applied for through its online portal.

A local note

Brookhaven sits right next to Buckhead along Peachtree Road, and many residents assume Atlanta handles their sewer. It doesn't: water and sewer here are DeKalb County services. Keep DWM's number handy, and keep grease out of the kitchen sink, since fats harden in the county mains as well as in your own drain.