Emergency Septic & Sewer Service · Lithonia, GA
Lithonia emergency septic and sewer help: knowing whether the city, DeKalb County or a contractor fixes it.
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or call (678) 863-5620The short answer
Who do I call for a sewer emergency in Lithonia, GA?
Sewage coming from a manhole, the street or a county cleanout goes to DeKalb Watershed's dispatch at 770-270-6243. Sewage backing into your house from your own lateral, or a septic tank overflowing in the yard, is private: stop using water and call a contractor. Flooded streets and storm drains belong to Lithonia Public Works.↗↗
Reviewed by Atlanta Water & Sewage Solutions · Last updated
The Lithonia story
What to do in the next ten minutes
Stop the flow first. Every flush, load of laundry or shower adds to whatever is coming up the lowest drain. Then keep people and pets out of the wet area, turn off power to any outlet or appliance the water can reach, and open windows.
- If you must step into dirty water, wear rubber boots, gloves and goggles, and wash hands with soap afterward.↗
- Never lift a septic tank lid to look inside; tanks can hold dangerous gases, and only trained crews should open them.↗
- If the yard is flooded, do not have the tank opened for pumping until the soil is no longer saturated.↗
- Look outside: if a manhole or the street is overflowing, the problem is probably the county's main, not your line.↗
Who owns what
Sorting out whose problem it is
DeKalb County Watershed Managementmain
County: public sewer, manholes and the part of your connection inside a right-of-way or sewer easement (Sec. 25-220)↗
Where the line sits: Property line or county easement
DeKalb County Watershed Managementsewer lateral
Homeowner: the building sewer on private property and any septic system↗
Where the line sits: Property line
The city itself runs no water or sewer utility; DeKalb serves Lithonia. What the city's Public Works department does cover is stormwater, landscaping and street maintenance, so a clogged storm inlet flooding the road is a city call, not a sewer one.↗↗
More about Lithonia
Why Lithonia backups often start at the lowest drain
Lithonia's median home dates to 1977, and older houses tend to have a basement shower or floor drain set below everything else. When the lateral clogs or the main surcharges, sewage takes the lowest exit it can find, and that is usually it.↗
The public system has its own history. In December 2010 federal and state regulators filed a complaint that DeKalb had spilled untreated sewage from its collection system many times over the prior five years. The consent decree that followed was expected to cost the county around $700 million, and it required a grease program, sewer mapping and rehabilitation of priority areas.↗
If DeKalb's work on its side damages your yard or house, that is a claim, not a plumbing bill. The county's call list routes property damage claims and yard restoration after water or sewer work to Utility Customer Operations at 404-378-4475.↗
On the record
- DeKalb's service call list names its dispatch line, 770-270-6243, as the answer to who will check the sewer system when sewage backs up into a house.↗
- Lithonia Public Works maintains the city's stormwater, landscaping and streets.↗
- DeKalb estimated it would spend about $700 million on its 2010 sewer consent decree and related improvements.↗
- Property damage claims from county water or sewer work go to DeKalb Utility Customer Operations.↗
Warning signs
Call right away if you see
Seeing two or more of these? Call before it gets worse.
- 1. Sewage rising in a tub, shower or basement floor drain
- 2. Toilets bubbling when another fixture drains
- 3. Wastewater pooling over the septic tank or drain field
- 4. A sewage odor inside with no obvious source
- 5. The outdoor cleanout cap pushed off or leaking
- 6. A septic alarm sounding on a pump system
More about Lithonia
Septic emergencies on the edges of town
Some Lithonia-area lots still drain to a tank. An emergency pump-out needs no permit from DeKalb Public Health, but repairing a broken tank, line or field does, and only a state-certified contractor may do it. The Environmental Health septic line is 404-508-7900.↗↗
For downtown businesses, the stakes are opening hours. A restaurant or shop on Main Street with sewage in the building should shut the water off at the fixtures and call before trying to reopen.
Some Lithonia-area lots still drain to a tank.
What it costs
What emergency sewer and septic work tends to cost
Sewer backup repair and cleanup, minor
$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
Sewage cleanup
$7–$15+ per square foot
Typical market range — HomeGuide — How Much Does Sewage Cleanup Cost? (Aug. 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
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 the blockage is roots, grease or a collapsed pipe
- 02Finished basement square footage that needs cleanup
- 03Missing cleanout, which means access through a toilet or the roof vent
- 04Wet ground delaying a septic pump-out
FAQ
Lithonia sewer and septic emergency FAQ
Straight answers, with the rule or record behind them. Still unsure? Call and ask the crew that digs.
(678) 863-5620Sewage is coming out of a manhole on my street. Who fixes it?
DeKalb Watershed Management. Report it to the county dispatch line, 770-270-6243; the public main is theirs.
Source: DeKalb Watershed Management Service Call List (revised July 11, 2025)
Will the City of Lithonia send someone for a sewer backup?
No. The city has no sewer utility; its Public Works staff handle stormwater and streets.
Source: Public Works | Lithonia, GA
Sewage is backing into my basement but the street looks fine. Now what?
It is most likely your private lateral. Stop using water and call a contractor; the owner is responsible for the building sewer on private property.
Source: DeKalb County Code Ch. 25, Art. IV, Div. 3 — Building Sewers and Connections (Municode, Supp. 72)
Can I get my septic tank pumped right after a storm?
EPA advises against opening a tank for pumping while the soil is still saturated. Stop using water and wait for the ground to drain.
Do I need a permit for an emergency septic pump-out?
Not for pumping alone. A repair to the tank, lines or field needs a DeKalb Public Health permit first.
County crews tore up my yard fixing the main. Who restores it?
Ask DeKalb Utility Customer Operations, 404-378-4475, which handles damage claims and restoration after county work.
Source: DeKalb Watershed Management Service Call List (revised July 11, 2025)
How soon can you get here?
It depends on the day's schedule and where you are. Call and we'll tell you honestly how fast we can be there.
Nearby areas
Emergency septic and sewer near Lithonia
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
- 1DeKalb Watershed Management Service Call List (revised July 11, 2025)
- 2Public Works | Lithonia, GA
- 3CDC — Floodwater After a Disaster or Emergency
- 4US EPA — Septic Systems: What to Do after the Flood
- 5DeKalb County Code Ch. 25, Art. IV, Div. 3 — Building Sewers and Connections (Municode, Supp. 72)
- 6Utilities | Lithonia, GA
- 7Census Reporter: Lithonia, GA (ACS 2024 5-year)
- 8US EPA — DeKalb County Clean Water Act Settlement
- 9Septic Systems | DeKalb Public Health
- 10HomeGuide — How Much Does Sewer Line Replacement Cost? (Dec. 22, 2025)
- 11HomeGuide — How Much Does Sewage Cleanup Cost? (Aug. 22, 2025)
- 12HomeGuide — How Much Does Septic Tank System Repair Cost? (Dec. 22, 2025)
Ready when you are
Sewage in the house? Call now — we'll tell you how fast we can get there.
Stop running water, keep everyone clear of the spill and call. We'll help you sort out whether it's your line, your tank or the county's main.
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