Plumbers in Forest Park, GA

A mid-century housing stock

Forest Park's median home was built in 1965, and about 78% of units predate 1980. In houses that age, original galvanized supply pipe often restricts flow or rusts through, cast iron drains crack and scale, sewer laterals let in roots, and shutoff valves seize. Repiping, drain line replacement and camera inspections of the sewer line are regular conversations here, alongside everyday water heater and toilet repairs.

Railroad stop to inner-ring suburb

Chartered and incorporated in 1908, Forest Park grew up as a railroad stop just south of Atlanta and I-285, about 9 miles from downtown. It had 19,932 residents in 2020. I-75, US 19/41, GA-54 and GA-331 pass through, and the city annexed the former Fort Gillem Army installation in 1973.

Clayton County Water Authority

The Clayton County Water Authority (CCWA) provides water, sewer and stormwater service across Clayton County and its six cities, Forest Park among them. Its water comes mainly from the Little Cotton Indian Creek, Shoal Creek and Pates Creek watersheds, with the Flint River as a supplemental source, stored in reservoirs including J.W. Smith, Shamrock and Blalock. CCWA's main line, 770-960-5200, also takes after-hours emergencies such as large leaks and sewer backups.

CCWA's service line runs from the main to the meter; from the meter to the house, the line belongs to the customer. CCWA has completed a service line material inventory and offers a public portal where residents can look up their property, a worthwhile check in a 1960s house.

Backflow handled by the utility

Clayton County does something unusual. CCWA installs backflow devices at customer connections, and its own state-certified backflow specialists test each one every year, scheduled around meter reading, and repair them. Forest Park homeowners do not hire their own backflow tester.

City permits

Forest Park Planning and Community Development requires that plumbing installation be permitted by the city. Applications are filed electronically through the city's OpenGov portal, inspections are requested by email to [email protected], and the office is at (404) 366-4720.

Gas, and how it compares with Atlanta

Atlanta Gas Light owns the pipes, and Clayton County residents buy gas from a PSC-certified marketer. If you smell gas, leave first, then call 911 and Atlanta Gas Light at 877.427.4321. Compared with Atlanta, Forest Park has older houses, a county water authority with its own reservoirs and a utility-run backflow program. Call the number on this page and you'll be connected with an independent plumber who works in Forest Park.