Marietta, GA ·
Marietta sewer and water line service where the city utility leaves most service-line blockages to the owner.
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or call (678) 863-5620The short answer
Who fixes a sewer or water line in Marietta, GA?
Marietta Power & Water owns the city mains, but its own FAQ makes owners clear service-line blockages even inside the right-of-way; the city repairs only pipe failures there. On water, the meter near the property line is the handoff. Atlanta Water & Sewage Solutions repairs the owner's side of both.↗
Reviewed by Atlanta Water & Sewage Solutions · Last updated
The Marietta story
A city utility with a blunt rule about blockages
Most metro cities send you to a county water department. Marietta does not. Marietta Power & Water, run under the Board of Lights & Water, handles the city's electric, water and sewer, and it publishes an unusually direct answer to the call it gets most: my plumber says the clog is out by the street, so will you come dig it up?↗↗
Usually, no. The utility says almost every service-line blockage starts with something flushed from the building or with roots from trees and shrubs growing near the line on private property. So the owner is expected to clear it, even when the stoppage physically sits under the road shoulder or inside a sewer easement.↗
There is a narrow exception worth knowing. If a licensed plumber or contractor cannot restore service, the city crew will come out to remove the blockage, and only that. The line has to be exposed and your contractor on site when the crew arrives. And when the real cause is broken pipe inside the public right-of-way or a BLW easement, the city repairs that stretch itself. Getting a camera image of the fault is what decides which rule applies.↗
Local facts
Marietta at a glance
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 | Marietta Power & Water (Board of Lights & Water) | Marietta, Georgia - Wikipedia |
| Water supply | Bought from the Cobb County-Marietta Water Authority (est. 1951), drawing on the Chattahoochee and Lake Allatoona | Water | Marietta, GA (Marietta Power & Water) |
| Pressure | Three zones; Redwood and Sugar Hill are boosted by elevated tanks | Frequently Asked Questions | Marietta Power & Water |
| Founded | Recognized 1834, incorporated 1852; six historic districts | Marietta, Georgia - Wikipedia |
| Main ZIP codes | 30060, 30062, 30064, 30066, 30067, 30008 | U.S. Census Bureau 2020 ZCTA-to-Place Relationship File |
| Soil downtown | Urban land-Appling complex, 2–10% slopes | USDA NRCS Soil Data Access — map unit at Marietta city-center coordinates (GA067) |
Who owns what
Who owns which pipe in Marietta
Marietta Power & Watersewer lateral
Owner clears blockages all the way to the main; the city repairs pipe failure inside the right-of-way or a BLW easement↗
Where the line sits: Right-of-way / easement, for repairs only
Marietta Power & Waterwater service line
City through the meter; owner's plumber past it↗
Where the line sits: Meter, usually at or near the property line
Homes just outside the city limits with a Marietta mailing address are often on the Cobb County Water System instead, where the county owns main to meter and you own meter to house. Check which utility bills you before you call anyone.↗
Median year homes were built
1987
Typical house here is about 39 years old — and so is its original sewer or septic line.
ACS 2020-2024 5-year, table B25035 · Census Reporter API — Marietta, GA, ACS 2020-2024 5-year (B01003, B25035, B25034)
Housing era
Built mostly in the eighties, with an older core
Half of Marietta's homes went up before 1987. The 1980s alone account for 6,848 of the city's 26,783 housing units, far more than any other decade. That is the generation of subdivisions and apartment complexes off Cobb Parkway and the I-75 exits.↗↗
Closer to the square the picture changes. The Northwest Marietta, Whitlock Avenue, Washington Avenue and Church-Cherokee Streets districts hold the older houses, and the census still counts several hundred homes from before 1940. Those lines have had decades for roots to find the joints.↗↗
We don't guess at pipe material from a build year. No public record lists what Marietta laterals are made of, so a camera run from the cleanout comes first.
Sewer or septic?
Is Marietta on sewer or septic?
Marietta's zoning rules only allow a septic tank where public sewer is more than 500 feet away, and then only with Cobb health approval on at least half an acre with 100 feet of road frontage. That makes septic the exception here, which is why this page leads with sewer laterals and water lines.↗
How to tell which one you have
- Your Marietta Power & Water bill shows a sewer charge.
- A capped cleanout sits near the front property line or sidewalk.
- Nothing in the yard looks like a tank lid or a drain-field mound.
Services here
What we handle in Marietta
Also available:Water Line Repair & InstallationSewer Line Installation & ReplacementSewer Camera InspectionEmergency Sewer Service
On the map
Marietta from our shop
About 70 min / 54.0 mi by road from our Oxford shop
Routed from Oxford to the center of Marietta.
Route sourceFAQ
Marietta homeowners ask
Straight answers, with the rule or record behind them. Still unsure? Call and ask the crew that digs.
(678) 863-5620My plumber says the clog is in the street. Will Marietta clear it?
Not by default. Marietta Power & Water expects the owner to clear service-line blockages even in the right-of-way. If a licensed plumber can't restore flow, the city will remove the blockage, and it repairs the line itself only when broken pipe in the right-of-way or a BLW easement is the cause.
What causes most service-line backups in Marietta?
According to the utility, material sent down the drains from the building and roots from nearby trees and shrubs on private property.
Why is my water pressure different from a friend's across town?
The city system runs three pressure zones because of elevation. The Redwood and Sugar Hill high-service areas depend on elevated tanks, and raising pressure would mean raising the tanks.
Where does Marietta's water come from?
Marietta Water buys treated water from the Cobb County-Marietta Water Authority, which draws from the Chattahoochee River and Lake Allatoona.
Can a Marietta lot use a septic tank?
Only if public sewer is not available within 500 feet, with Cobb health department approval and at least half an acre and 100 feet of frontage.
Source: Marietta Zoning Ordinance §732.02 Street and related improvements (Municode, Supp. 56)
Who handles a leak between the meter and my house?
You do. Marietta Water will check pressure at the meter, which usually sits at or near the property line, and sends anything beyond it to the owner's plumber.
Who do I call if sewage is coming up in the street at night?
Marietta's water and wastewater emergency line is 770-794-5230. For a backup inside the house, call us at (678) 863-5620 and we'll find where the line is blocked.
Nearby areas
Around Marietta
- Kennesaw septic & sewerUp Cobb Parkway, on the county water system.
- Acworth septic & sewerThe lake city at the north end of Cobb.
- Sandy Springs septic & sewerAcross the Chattahoochee in Fulton.
- Woodstock septic & sewerNorth on I-575 in Cherokee.
- Atlanta septic & sewerLaterals under the city's watershed department.
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
- 1Frequently Asked Questions | Marietta Power & Water
- 2Marietta, Georgia - Wikipedia
- 3Water | Marietta, GA (Marietta Power & Water)
- 4U.S. Census Bureau 2020 ZCTA-to-Place Relationship File
- 5USDA NRCS Soil Data Access — map unit at Marietta city-center coordinates (GA067)
- 6Pipe Ownership | Cobb County Water System
- 7Census Reporter API — Marietta, GA, ACS 2020-2024 5-year (B01003, B25035, B25034)
- 8Marietta Zoning Ordinance §732.02 Street and related improvements (Municode, Supp. 56)
- 9Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 511-3-1 On-Site Sewage Management Systems
Ready when you are
Backed up and told it's your problem? We'll show you where.
Call (678) 863-5620. We camera the Marietta lateral, locate the fault, and tell you whether it's yours to fix or a pipe failure the city should repair.
(678) 863-5620- Georgia DPH-certified installer & pumper
- Residential & commercial
- Oxford, GA
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