Who Handles What When Water Leaks: the County, the Utility, You and Your Insurer

Where does the county's job end and the owner's begin?

Gwinnett County Water Resources says its crews cannot work on private property and that repairs on the customer's side of the meter belong to the owner. The county's leak page says the same of leaks inside or outside the home: they are the owner's to repair.

The county's report page lists what it does want to hear about: leaks at the meter box or in the street, outages, sewer backups or spills, overflowing manholes, sinkholes, major flooding during rain and broken storm drains.

Who gets the call about a street leak or a backing manhole?

In Gwinnett, emergencies go to 678.376.7000, and customer care is 678.376.6800. Sugar Hill's FAQ points water and sewer emergencies at that same county line.

In North Fulton, which includes Johns Creek, the county's emergency repairs page prints 770-640-3040 for a drinking-water emergency and 404-612-3061 for a sewer one.

What about the gas and the lights?

On Suwanee's utilities page, Atlanta Gas Light is listed with 404-584-4000, Georgia Power with 1-888-660-5890 and Jackson EMC with 770-536-2415. Sugar Hill runs its own gas line, taking gas leaks at (770) 271-2137, and its FAQ lists Jackson EMC at 1.800.462.3691. With a gas smell, the first move is out the door; the call to 911 or the gas company comes from outside.

For a downed power line, Georgia Power's outage page gives 1-888-891-0938 or 911.

Is the house on septic or the county sewer?

Suwanee's stormwater page notes septic systems at many homes in its historic area, and says a Gwinnett water customer whose bill shows a zero sewer charge probably has septic. Gwinnett Environmental Health, 770-963-5132, holds septic records going back to 1959.

Sugar Hill's FAQ says septic is the owner's responsibility. The EPA's septic page describes the common types of system.

What does the insurer need, and what does the state say?

Georgia's insurance commissioner says to know your policy, file as soon as possible, photograph before temporary repairs and keep receipts. It calls temporary repairs a good idea while holding permanent ones until the insurer inspects. The policy may set a time frame for notice.

GEMA's insurance page says the usual homeowners policy leaves out flood damage. Neither page promises coverage for any loss, and nothing written here does either.

Can the water bill be adjusted after a leak?

Gwinnett County's customer FAQ describes a leak adjustment: one every 12 months, with the repair made within three months of the rise in usage and the request made within three months of the repair, under terms posted as of 1 May 2019. Terms change, so ask the county for the current ones.

For Johns Creek and North Fulton, ask Fulton County's water office whether a comparable adjustment exists. The Fulton pages checked say nothing either way.

When is a call to the contractor the next step?

Once the source is stopped and the right agency has been told, what is left is the wet house: burst pipe water damage if a line let go, or sewage backup cleanup if a drain backed up.

Call (678) 572-1407 and say what the agency told you. The contractor can arrange a visit.

Call (678) 572-1407