Backflow Testing in Rex, GA

Do I have to schedule a backflow test in Rex?

No. Rex is an unincorporated community in eastern Clayton County, centered on the historic Rex Mill and Rex Village, and its water comes from the Clayton County Water Authority. CCWA installs backflow devices at all customer connections and tests every one of them each year with its own state-certified backflow specialists. The testing is scheduled around meter-reading cycles, and CCWA repairs the devices as well. Non-residential accounts pay a monthly per-connection fee for testing and repairs. For a Rex homeowner, there's no tester to hire and no report to file.

Then when would I need a plumber?

When the problem is on your side of the meter. CCWA's service line runs from the water main to the meter; the line from the meter to the house is the customer's. A leak in that pipe, a fitting that fails past the connection, low pressure that turns out to be a house-side problem, or a new irrigation line or outdoor faucet are all jobs for a plumber. If a leak seems to be in the device itself, report it to CCWA, since the authority repairs the devices it installs.

What should I know about permits and housing here?

Because Rex has no city government, Clayton County Community Development issues building, mechanical, electrical and plumbing permits from its office in Jonesboro. New outdoor plumbing, replacement water lines and similar work go through that office. Rex homes are mostly newer than those in Clayton's older inner suburbs, with a median build year of 1995 and about a fifth built before 1980. Lots near Cotton Indian Creek and the historic village can be larger, which means longer runs from the meter to the house and more pipe to search when a leak shows up.

A Rex note

Because CCWA visits the device on its own schedule, a homeowner may not notice anything until a bill rises or a wet spot appears in the yard. If you see either one, check the meter with all fixtures off. If it's moving, call a plumber to trace the leak on your line.