Septic permits & records
City of Covington Water/Sewer (main in the street)
- Address
- 2194 Emory Street NW, Covington, GA 30014
- Phone
- 770-385-2000
Emergency Septic & Sewer Service · Covington, GA
Emergency sewer and septic backup help in Covington, Georgia: what to do first and who to call.
Covington, Newton County · about 22 min / 11.5 mi by road from our Oxford shop. ZIP codes 30014, 30015, 30016.
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or call (678) 863-5620The short answer
Emergency sewer or septic backup in Covington, GA
Stop running water, keep people and pets away from the sewage, and call. If the city main under the street is backing up, Covington's utility at 770-385-2000 handles it; a blockage in your own pipe is yours. Call Atlanta Water & Sewage Solutions at (678) 863-5620 now and we'll tell you how fast we can be there.↗↗
Reviewed by Atlanta Water & Sewage Solutions · Last updated
At a glance
The Covington story
The first ten minutes
Shut off the washer, dishwasher and any running tap, and ask everyone to stop flushing. Every gallon you send down has nowhere to go but the lowest drain in the house.
Treat the water on the floor as sewage. CDC advice for floodwater applies: keep children and pets out, wear rubber boots and gloves, and wash hands with soap and clean water afterward. Turn off power to a flooded room only if you can reach the panel without standing in water.↗
Then find your cleanout. If its cap is lifted and sewage is pooling there, the clog is probably downstream toward the street. If the cleanout is dry but the house is backing up, the blockage is closer to the house.
Shut off the washer, dishwasher and any running tap, and ask everyone to stop flushing.
Who to call at the county
Main or lateral: who to call first
- City of Covington Sewer mains; the owner keeps the pipe clean from the plumbing to the street line or mainThe city says state-licensed staff are on call at all hours for its system.↗
- Newton County Water & Sewerage Authority Sewer for NCWSA accounts on the edge of townAfter-hours emergency line: sewer 678-776-1295, water 770-385-3939.↗
Local facts
Covington details that matter in a backup
Each row links to the agency, code or publisher it comes from. Tap a source to check it yourself.
| Topic | What it says | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Utility phone | 770-385-2000, the City of Covington water and sewer department on Emory Street | City of Covington - Water/Sewer System |
| NCWSA after-hours sewer line | 678-776-1295, emergencies only | NCWSA — Contact & Directions (after-hours emergency numbers; Wayback snapshot Nov. 12, 2025) |
| Hidden cleanouts | The street-side cleanout may be cut to 6 inches below grade, with a cast iron ferrule and brass plug so a metal detector can find it | City of Covington Water and Sewer Standards and Specifications (orig. May 2011, rev. April 2024) |
| Rain in the design | New sewer is sized with an inflow and infiltration allowance of 100 gallons per day per acre | City of Covington Water and Sewer Standards and Specifications (orig. May 2011, rev. April 2024) |
More about Covington
Why backups spike after a Covington downpour
Sanitary sewers are built for wastewater, not storms, yet rain still finds its way in through cracked joints, loose cleanout caps and old roof drains tied into laterals. Covington's standards budget for some of that inflow on new lines. An old pipe with open joints can take in far more, and the lowest drain in the house is where it shows.↗
Homes on septic at the edge of town have the mirror problem. EPA advises against pumping a tank while the ground is saturated and asks owners to use as little water as possible until the soil drains.↗
Sanitary sewers are built for wastewater, not storms, yet rain still finds its way in through cracked joints, loose cleanout caps and old roof drains tied into laterals.
Warning signs
This is an emergency when
Seeing two or more of these? Call before it gets worse.
- 1. Sewage is coming up a floor drain, tub or basement toilet
- 2. Every drain in the house has stopped at once
- 3. Raw sewage is pooling at the cleanout or across the yard
- 4. A septic alarm is sounding and the tank is near the lid
- 5. A strong sewer smell indoors along with gurgling fixtures
What it costs
What emergency work tends to cost
National ranges from HomeGuide, not our prices. We quote the actual job on site before starting.
Sewer backup repair, minor repair and cleanup
$500–$2,000
Typical market range — HomeGuide — How Much Does Sewer Line Replacement Cost? (Dec. 22, 2025), 2025
Sewer line repair, by method
$150–$3,800
Typical market range — HomeGuide — How Much Does Sewer Line Replacement Cost? (Dec. 22, 2025), 2025
Unclog or pump a backed-up septic tank
$295–$610
Typical market range — HomeGuide — How Much Does Septic Tank System Repair Cost? (Dec. 22, 2025), 2025
Sewage cleanup
$7–$15+ per square foot
Typical market range — HomeGuide — How Much Does Sewage Cleanup Cost? (Aug. 22, 2025), 2025
What moves the price
These are third-party typical market ranges, not our prices. Every job is quoted after we see it — estimates are free.
Free estimate: (678) 863-5620- 01Whether a cleanout is reachable or has to be found and dug up
- 02Roots or a broken section rather than a simple clog
- 03How much of the floor the sewage reached before the water was shut off
- 04Evening or weekend calls, which some cleanup firms bill at a premium
More about Covington
Houses versus kitchens on the square
At home, a backup is usually one lateral and one cleanout. A restaurant is different: grease is the usual cause, and Covington's FOG program requires traps to be cleaned by a licensed sewage handler, with the manifest sent to the city's FOG Program Specialist. Keep that paperwork close when a line stops during service.↗
FAQ
Covington emergency sewer and septic questions
Straight answers, with the rule or record behind them. Still unsure? Call and ask the crew that digs.
(678) 863-5620Is a sewer backup in my Covington house the city's problem or mine?
It depends where the blockage sits. City code makes the owner keep the pipe clean from the plumbing to the street line or city main, whichever is nearer. A clog in the main under the street is the city's to clear.
Source: Covington, GA Code of Ordinances § 13.16.070 (Municode)
How do I tell if the main is backed up?
Look at the nearest manhole and ask a neighbor. If several houses on the street are backing up at once, call the city at 770-385-2000. If only your house is affected, the clog is most likely in your lateral.
I'm an NCWSA sewer customer. Who pays to clear my line?
Since March 1, 2021, NCWSA customers pay to clear the building sewer all the way through the tap at the main. NCWSA still clears clogs in the main. Its after-hours sewer number is 678-776-1295.
Source: NCWSA — Notice of Policy Change: Maintenance of Sewer Service Laterals (July 14, 2021)
I can't find my cleanout. Where should I look?
Start near the street. Covington's standard puts a cleanout at the right-of-way, and once the house is connected it can be cut down 6 inches below grade with a brass plug a metal detector will pick up.
Source: City of Covington Water and Sewer Standards and Specifications (orig. May 2011, rev. April 2024)
Should I get my septic tank pumped right after a flood?
No. EPA advises against pumping while the drain field is saturated, because the tank can shift or float. Use as little water as you can until the ground dries.
How soon can you get to my house in Covington?
That depends on the day's schedule and where you are in town. Ring (678) 863-5620 now; the person who answers will give you a realistic arrival window for your Covington street before you hang up.
Is it safe to clean up the sewage myself?
Small spills can be handled with care. CDC guidance for floodwater recommends boots and gloves, keeping children and pets out, and washing thoroughly afterward. Porous items soaked with sewage are hard to save.
Nearby areas
Emergency septic and sewer help near Covington
Sources
Where these facts come from
Rules, costs and local facts on this page link to the agency, code or publisher that states them. Cost figures are third-party market ranges, not our prices — estimates are free.
Reviewed by Atlanta Water & Sewage Solutions · Last updated
- 1City of Covington - Water/Sewer System
- 2Covington, GA Code of Ordinances § 13.16.070 (Municode)
- 3CDC — Safety Guidelines: Floodwater
- 4NCWSA — Contact & Directions (after-hours emergency numbers; Wayback snapshot Nov. 12, 2025)
- 5City of Covington Water and Sewer Standards and Specifications (orig. May 2011, rev. April 2024)
- 6US EPA — Septic Systems: What to Do after the Flood
- 7HomeGuide — How Much Does Sewer Line Replacement Cost? (Dec. 22, 2025)
- 8HomeGuide — How Much Does Septic Tank System Repair Cost? (Dec. 22, 2025)
- 9HomeGuide — How Much Does Sewage Cleanup Cost? (Aug. 22, 2025)
- 10City of Covington — Fats, Oils and Grease Program (FOG)
- 11NCWSA — Notice of Policy Change: Maintenance of Sewer Service Laterals (July 14, 2021)
Ready when you are
Drains backing up right now? CALL NOW — WE'LL TELL YOU HOW FAST WE CAN BE THERE.
Tell us your street, whether you're on city sewer or a tank, and where the water is showing up. We'll give you a straight answer on timing and what to do until we arrive.
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