Emergency Septic & Sewer Service · Redan, GA
Emergency sewer and septic help in Redan, starting with who owns the pipe that failed.
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or call (678) 863-5620The short answer
What should I do about a sewer emergency in Redan, GA?
Stop running water first. If sewage is spilling from a manhole, the street or a county cleanout, report it to DeKalb Watershed dispatch at 770-270-6243. If it is coming up inside your house or in your yard, the private lateral is the likely cause, and that is a job for a contractor like us.↗↗
Reviewed by Atlanta Water & Sewage Solutions · Last updated
The Redan story
The next ten minutes
Every flush, shower or washer cycle pushes more sewage toward the lowest drain in the house, which in a Redan split-level is usually the lower-level bath or laundry. Shut those fixtures down and tell everyone at home.
Keep children and pets away from the water. CDC guidance treats floodwater containing sewage as a health hazard; wear gloves and boots, and wash thoroughly after contact. Turn off power to any outlet near standing water if you can do it from a dry spot.↗
Then take one look outside. Sewage bubbling from a manhole or the street points to the county system. A wet, smelly patch in your own yard or an overflowing cleanout points to your lateral. Photos of both help whoever comes next.
Every flush, shower or washer cycle pushes more sewage toward the lowest drain in the house, which in a Redan split-level is usually the lower-level bath or laundry.
Who owns what
Whose problem is it?
DeKalb County Watershed Managementmain
DeKalb: mains, manholes and pipe inside public streets and sewer easements↗
Where the line sits: Right-of-way or easement edge
DeKalb County Watershed Managementsewer lateral
Owner: the building sewer on private property (Sec. 25-220)↗
Where the line sits: Property line
DeKalb's service call list files the question of who will check the sewer when it is backing up into a house under its 24-hour emergency dispatch, the same desk that takes sanitary sewer spills. Calling there first costs nothing and settles ownership.↗
Local facts
Redan emergency reference
Each row links to the agency, code or publisher it comes from. Tap a source to check it yourself.
| Topic | What it says | Source |
|---|---|---|
| County 24-hour dispatch | 770-270-6243 for sanitary sewer spills, water leaks, sinkholes and main breaks | Watershed Management | DeKalb County, GA |
| Damage claims | Property damage claims from county water or sewer work go to Utility Customer Operations, 774 Jordan Lane, Decatur | DeKalb Watershed Management Service Call List (revised July 11, 2025) |
| Septic questions | DeKalb Environmental Health at 404-508-7900, per Watershed's own call list | DeKalb Watershed Management Service Call List (revised July 11, 2025) |
| Where local creeks go | Barbashela Creek flows into Snapfinger Creek, a South River tributary | Wikipedia: Snapfinger Creek |
| Why spills matter here | American Rivers ranked the South River the fourth most endangered US river in 2021, citing sewage | Wikipedia: DeKalb County, Georgia |
Warning signs
It's an emergency when…
Seeing two or more of these? Call before it gets worse.
- 1. Sewage rises in a tub, shower or floor drain
- 2. Toilets on the lowest floor gurgle or refill when a washer drains
- 3. The yard cleanout cap has popped or is overflowing
- 4. A sewage smell lingers inside with no obvious source
- 5. Soggy ground over the lateral or, on a septic lot, over the drain field
- 6. Water backs up everywhere at once, not in one fixture
More about Redan
What we do when we get there
Call now and we'll tell you how fast we can be there; we don't promise arrival times we can't keep. On site, we open the cleanout to see which way the sewage stands. Full to the brim means the blockage is downstream toward the street; empty means it's inside the house.
A clog is cleared with a cable or water jet, and then the line is filmed so you know whether roots, a sag or a broken joint caused it. If the camera shows the problem is in the county's section, we stop and point you back to DeKalb with the footage.
The few Redan homes still on septic get a different first step: a pump-out to relieve the tank, then a look at the baffles and outlet. DeKalb Public Health requires a permit before any system repair, although a routine pump-out needs none.↗
Call now and we'll tell you how fast we can be there; we don't promise arrival times we can't keep.
What it costs
Emergency cost ranges
Sewer backup repair, minor
$500–$2,000
Typical market range — HomeGuide — Sewer Line Repair & Replacement Cost (2025), 2025
Sewer line repair by method
$150–$3,800
Typical market range — HomeGuide — Sewer Line Repair & Replacement Cost (2025), 2025
Pump or unclog a backed-up septic tank
$295–$610
Typical market range — HomeGuide — Septic Tank Repair Cost (2025), 2025
Sewage cleanup inside the home
$7–$15+ per sq ft
Typical market range — HomeGuide — Sewage Cleanup Cost (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 cable clears it or the pipe has to be dug
- 02Cleanout access; many older laterals have none
- 03How far sewage spread across finished floors
- 04A DeKalb septic repair permit, $150 on the 2024 fee schedule
More about Redan
Homes, churches and small businesses
Most calls are single-family backups. Restaurants, churches and daycares along Covington Highway face the same ownership split, but a kitchen backup often traces to grease, and a business may need to stay closed until the line is proven clear.
On the septic side, EPA's malfunction guidance is to keep people off a surfacing drain field and bring in a professional quickly, because partial fixes tend to fail again.↗
Most calls are single-family backups.
FAQ
Redan sewer emergency FAQ
Straight answers, with the rule or record behind them. Still unsure? Call and ask the crew that digs.
(678) 863-5620Will DeKalb come out if sewage is backing up into my house?
DeKalb routes that question to its 24-hour dispatch at 770-270-6243. The county checks its own mains; the lateral on your lot is yours.
Source: DeKalb Watershed Management Service Call List (revised July 11, 2025)
Sewage is coming out of a manhole on my street. Should I call you?
No. That is a public sanitary sewer spill. Report it to DeKalb Watershed dispatch.
How fast can you get to Redan?
It depends on the day and the crew schedule. Call and we'll give you an honest answer before you commit.
County sewer crews damaged my yard. Who handles that?
Damage claims tied to county water or sewer work go to DeKalb's Utility Customer Operations office on Jordan Lane in Decatur.
Source: DeKalb Watershed Management Service Call List (revised July 11, 2025)
Is it safe to clean up the sewage myself?
Small amounts, with gloves, boots and disinfectant. CDC advises avoiding contact with sewage-contaminated water and washing well afterward. Large spills on finished floors are cleanup-company work.
My Redan house is on septic. Do I need a permit for an emergency repair?
Yes for a repair, no for a pump-out. DeKalb Public Health must permit the repair before a certified contractor does the work.
Why do backups here matter beyond my house?
Redan's creeks drain toward the South River, which a national group listed as endangered in 2021 because of sewage. Quick fixes keep spills out of it.
Nearby areas
Emergency septic and sewer near Redan
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)
- 2DeKalb County Code Ch. 25, Art. IV, Div. 3 — Building Sewers and Connections (Municode, Supp. 72)
- 3CDC — Floodwater After a Disaster or Emergency
- 4Watershed Management | DeKalb County, GA
- 5Wikipedia: Snapfinger Creek
- 6Wikipedia: DeKalb County, Georgia
- 7Septic Systems | DeKalb Public Health
- 8HomeGuide — Sewer Line Repair & Replacement Cost (2025)
- 9HomeGuide — Septic Tank Repair Cost (2025)
- 10HomeGuide — Sewage Cleanup Cost (2025)
- 11EPA — Resolving Septic System Malfunctions
Ready when you are
Sewage coming up in Redan? Call now. We'll tell you how fast we can be there.
We'll help you sort county problem from private problem on the phone, then clear and film your line.
(678) 863-5620- Georgia DPH-certified installer & pumper
- Residential & commercial
- Oxford, GA
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or call (678) 863-5620