Clarkston sends sewer problems to DeKalb County Water and Sewer, and more than half of the city's housing was built before 1980. A sewer camera inspection films the drain line from your house to show roots, cracks, sags or blockages and where they are. 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, with housing that is largely 1970s and 1980s apartments and homes. The median year built is 1979, about 31% of units date from the 1970s alone, and nearly 53% predate 1980. The city handles storm drains only; sewer belongs to DeKalb County. With so many homes and apartment buildings of the same age, recurring main-line clogs are a familiar problem, and owners of small rental buildings often find a camera worth it before agreeing to a costly repair.
What to do now
- Stop sending water down. Hold off on laundry, dishes and showers.
- Decide whether it is one fixture or all. Whole-house trouble points to the main drain.
- Report street-side problems to the county. Sewage backups on a property and missing manhole lids go to DeKalb County Water and Sewer at 770-621-7200, not the city.
- Find the cleanout. It is usually a capped pipe near the foundation.
- Have the line cleared and filmed. The video shows the cause and where it is.
Symptoms and what they suggest
| Symptom | Likely cause |
|---|---|
| Repeat clogs every few months | Roots entering at a joint |
| Rough, narrowed pipe on video | Scale in aging drain pipe |
| Toilet gurgles when the tub drains | Partial blockage in the main |
| Sudden backup after heavy rain | Crack letting groundwater in |
| Water pooling in one stretch | Sag in the line |
Cost factors
- Cleanout access versus going through a toilet or vent
- Whether the line must be cleared first
- Length of the run and number of bends
- Marking the defect and saving the video
Lines from the 1970s are old enough that joints may have loosened and cast iron may have scaled, so a camera before any large repair is worthwhile. If the footage shows work is needed, Clarkston Planning & Development issues trade permits for plumbing work that alters piping, through the city's online portal. The office is at 736 Park North Blvd. Ask for a copy of the recording so you can compare quotes. If the trouble is in your house branches rather than the main, the camera can usually be used there as well.
Sewer Camera Inspection questions in Clarkston
Who do I call if the backup seems to be in the public sewer?
Is a sewer scope worth ordering before I buy a house here?
Can the camera tell what my sewer pipe is made of?
Does a repair found on camera need a permit?
More plumbing services in Clarkston
Sewer Camera Inspection nearby
Sources
Last updated: