Leak Detection in Lithonia, GA

Is this a DeKalb problem or a plumbing problem?

Look at where the water is. DeKalb County Watershed Management handles water mains and service in Lithonia; county crews have repaired mains here before. DeKalb is responsible for the line from the main in the street to the meter, including the meter. The property owner is responsible from the meter to the home's plumbing. If water is surfacing in the street or at the meter, call DeKalb's 24-hour emergency repair line at 770-270-6243. If the meter keeps turning with everything off and the street side is dry, the leak is yours and a plumber should find it.

What should I know about Lithonia homes?

The small City of Lithonia, known as the City of Granite for its quarrying past, has a Main Street core ringed by older residential streets. The wider Lithonia mailing area is much larger than the city and overlaps Stonecrest and unincorporated DeKalb. Across the 30058 ZIP, only about 16% of houses predate 1980, so most homes leak at fittings, hoses, water heater connectors and valves rather than worn pipe. Older homes near Main Street may still have original valves and long-buried service lines. DeKalb's service line inventory lets you check your line's recorded material, and its 2026 report advises extra flushing for homes with lead or galvanized service lines.

Who issues the repair permit?

Inside city limits, the City of Lithonia Building and Permitting Division issues plumbing permits as their own trade permit type, with plan review and inspections, from City Hall on Main Street and through the city's Citizen Portal. Addresses with a Lithonia mailing address outside city limits go to the City of Stonecrest or DeKalb County instead. A plumber working your address can tell you which office applies and whether your repair needs a permit at all.

Before you call

Turn off every fixture and the irrigation, then take two meter readings an hour apart. Check under sinks, around the water heater and at each toilet. If water is spreading indoors, close the main shutoff and keep it off until help arrives. When you call, you'll be connected with an independent plumber who works in Lithonia; mention whether your address is inside the city, since that settles the permit question early.