Backflow Testing in Lithonia, GA

Does my Lithonia home need a backflow assembly?

Only if it has irrigation or a business use, in most cases. Lithonia is a small historic granite-quarrying town, the City of Granite, about 18 miles east of downtown Atlanta. The city lists no water utility; DeKalb County Watershed handles mains and service here. DeKalb's Backflow Prevention Section covers every customer and requires an assembly on any single-family irrigation system. Commercial and multi-family properties need one matched to their hazard level, which covers shops on Main Street and in the historic commercial core.

Who tests it, and how often?

Every year, by a GBPAT-certified tester; GAWP keeps the list. The assembly goes on the customer side of the meter and is installed by a plumbing contractor holding a Georgia license. Questions go to the section at 404-687-4075. DeKalb is responsible for the line from the main through the meter; the line from the meter to the home's plumbing is the owner's, along with the assembly on it. That makes the test and any repair a household cost.

What if the assembly fails, or I'm adding sprinklers?

A failed test usually means worn checks, seats or springs, which a plumber can rebuild before the tester runs it again. A body cracked by a freeze means replacement. Older residential streets ringing Main Street are likely to have irrigation added later, so check whether a device was ever installed when the sprinklers went in. New or relocated assemblies inside city limits need a permit from the City of Lithonia Building and Permitting Division, applied for through the city's Citizen Portal; the office is at 6920 Main Street. Addresses with a Lithonia mailing address outside city limits go to the City of Stonecrest or DeKalb County instead.

A Lithonia note

Lithonia is a gateway to the Arabia Mountain National Heritage Area, and some lots near former quarries and Kilgore Road sit on rock close to the surface. Assemblies there are more likely to be set above ground, which makes them easier to test but more exposed in a freeze. Wrap them before winter, and have the device's make and size ready when you call.