Clarkston's water and sewer are managed by DeKalb County, whose backflow section requires commercial and multi-family customers to install and test an assembly every year. The City of Clarkston permits water heater replacements, new plumbing and fixture work that alters piping. Call the number on this page to be connected with a local plumber in Clarkston.
Clarkston is a small inner-ring DeKalb city just outside I-285, long a refugee-resettlement hub with a very diverse population. Much of its housing is 1970s and 1980s apartments and homes; about 31% of units were built in the 1970s alone, and the median dates to 1979. For plumbers, that means a lot of multi-family work, shared water heaters and building sewers that have seen decades of use.
What to do now
- Shut off the water. In an apartment building, know where each building's main and the unit shutoffs are.
- Find out where the sewage is. Backups on the property and missing manhole lids go to DeKalb County Water and Sewer at 770-621-7200. The city handles only storm drains.
- Call DeKalb for main breaks. Its 24-hour emergency repair line is 770-270-6243.
- Warn tenants or customers. Tell them which fixtures to avoid until the line is cleared.
- Gather the facts. Which units or fixtures, and since when, helps the plumber bring the right equipment.
Symptoms and likely causes
| What you see | Likely cause |
|---|---|
| Ground-floor units backing up together | Blockage in the building sewer |
| Tenants reporting no hot water | Failed shared heater or recirculation pump |
| Water stains spreading between floors | Leak in a supply riser or tub drain above |
| Restaurant floor drain overflowing | Grease buildup downstream |
| Test notice from DeKalb backflow section | Yearly test due on the commercial assembly |
Cost factors
- Number of units or tenants on the affected line
- Access to risers inside occupied apartments
- Camera inspection of an older building sewer
- A City of Clarkston permit, required for water heater replacement and fixture work that alters piping; the Planning and Development office on Park North Boulevard takes applications through its online portal
- Backflow assembly repairs after a failed test
DeKalb's backflow section requires commercial and multi-family customers to install a reduced pressure assembly for high hazards or a double check for low hazards, on the customer side of the meter, and to test it annually with a tester certified by GAWP/GBPAT, ASSE, ABPA or UF TREEO. DeKalb owns the service line through the meter; the property owner owns it from the meter to the building. Landlords should keep test reports with the property records.
Commercial Plumbing questions in Clarkston
Do rental houses and small apartment buildings count as commercial work?
Who do we call if sewage is coming up outside the building?
Which office issues the permit for commercial plumbing work?
Who tests a commercial backflow assembly, and how often?
More plumbing services in Clarkston
Commercial Plumbing nearby
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