Emergency Septic & Sewer Service · Stonecrest, GA
Stonecrest emergency septic and sewer help for backups that arrive with heavy rain.
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or call (678) 863-5620The short answer
What should I do if sewer backs up in my Stonecrest home?
Stop using water, keep people away from the spill and check outside. If sewage is spilling from a manhole or the street, Stonecrest's own guide says report it to DeKalb Water and Sewer at 770-270-6243. If only your house is affected, the private lateral or septic tank is the likely cause, and that repair is yours.↗↗
Reviewed by Atlanta Water & Sewage Solutions · Last updated
The Stonecrest story
Right now, in this order
Shut off the dishwasher and washer, and tell everyone not to flush. If water is near outlets, a furnace or a water heater, cut the breaker for that area. Move kids and pets to another floor.
- Wear rubber boots, gloves and eye protection for any cleanup, and do not let children play where the water was.↗
- On septic, hold off using the system until water in the drain field sits lower than the water around the house.↗
- Check electrical connections for damage before power goes back on to a flooded pump or alarm panel.↗
- A sinkhole or sudden dip in the street or yard goes to DeKalb's emergency dispatch too; it can signal a broken pipe below.↗
More about Stonecrest
Creeks, storms and a county system under a federal decree
Stonecrest is laced with water: Census maps put the South River, Snapfinger and Pole Bridge creeks and several lakes inside the city. Sewer mains follow those valleys because gravity does. When a hard rain drives water into cracked pipe and loose manholes, the lines along the creeks fill, and a house at the low end of a street can feel it first.↗
Regulators have been pressing DeKalb on exactly this for years. The original complaint, settled in 2010, alleged repeated overflows of untreated sewage and carried a $453,000 civil penalty split between the United States and Georgia. When EPA announced a modified decree in October 2020, it said the system had still seen hundreds of overflows since 2011, estimated the fixes at more than $1 billion and gave the county until December 20, 2027 to finish its priority areas.↗↗
None of that changes who fixes your pipe. A backup caused by roots or grease in your own lateral is a private repair, because the county code puts the building sewer on private property in the owner's hands.↗
On the record
- DeKalb's 2010 Clean Water Act settlement carried a $453,000 civil penalty, split evenly between the United States and Georgia.↗
- EPA's 2020 modification put DeKalb's sewer fixes at more than $1 billion and called for over 100 problem locations to be fixed on an expedited schedule.↗
- DeKalb's emergency dispatch list covers sinkholes, low pressure, water leaks, main breaks and sanitary sewer spills.↗
Local facts
Numbers to keep on the fridge
Each row links to the agency, code or publisher it comes from. Tap a source to check it yourself.
| Topic | What it says | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Spill, manhole overflow, main break | DeKalb Water and Sewer emergencies, 770-270-6243 | Trouble Resource Guide | Stonecrest, GA |
| County technical office | Watershed Management, 1580 Roadhaven Drive, Stone Mountain; 770-621-7200 on weekdays | DeKalb County 2022 Current Rates — Water and Sewer Rates and Service Charges (via Wayback) |
| Septic questions | DeKalb Public Health Environmental Health, 404-508-7900 | DeKalb Watershed Management Service Call List (revised July 11, 2025) |
| Grease interceptor questions (FOG) | DeKalb FOG line, 404-687-7150 | DeKalb Watershed Management Service Call List (revised July 11, 2025) |
Warning signs
Stonecrest emergencies that should not wait
Seeing two or more of these? Call before it gets worse.
- 1. Sewage in a basement or ground-floor shower after a storm
- 2. Every drain in the house slow at the same time
- 3. A cleanout or yard area bubbling with wastewater
- 4. Septic alarm on with the pump chamber full
- 5. A strong sewer smell near a creek-side property line
- 6. Pavement or lawn sinking over a pipe route
More about Stonecrest
Houses, septic lots and restaurants
Most calls in Stonecrest's subdivisions are lateral clogs from roots, wipes or kitchen grease. Rural parcels on septic have a different emergency: a full tank, a failed pump or an outlet baffle that has come loose. Pumping a backed-up tank needs no permit, but a repair to the tank or field requires a DeKalb Public Health permit and a certified contractor.↗
Restaurants near the mall and along the interstate face both a backup and the county's grease rules. Our commercial page for Stonecrest covers interceptors and building sewers.
Most calls in Stonecrest's subdivisions are lateral clogs from roots, wipes or kitchen grease.
What it costs
Emergency sewer and septic price ranges
After-hours or weekend premium (cleanup companies)
$200–$500 added
Typical market range — HomeGuide — How Much Does Sewage Cleanup Cost? (Aug. 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
Septic pump replacement
$500–$1,300
Typical market range — HomeGuide — How Much Does Septic Tank System Repair Cost? (Dec. 22, 2025), 2025
Outlet baffle repair
$250–$900
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- 01Storm-day demand across the east side of the county
- 02Access to the cleanout on a steep lot
- 03Pump chamber versus gravity septic
- 04How much finished space needs sewage cleanup
FAQ
Stonecrest sewer emergency questions
Straight answers, with the rule or record behind them. Still unsure? Call and ask the crew that digs.
(678) 863-5620Does Stonecrest have its own sewer department?
No. The city's Trouble Resource Guide sends sewer spills and water main leaks to DeKalb Water and Sewer at 770-270-6243.
Why does my sewer back up only when it rains?
Rainwater getting into cracked pipe or manholes can fill lines along the creeks. DeKalb's sewer overflows are the subject of a federal consent decree.
Source: US EPA — DeKalb County, Georgia Clean Water Act Settlement Modified (Oct. 22, 2020)
Is the backup in my house the county's responsibility?
Only if the cause is in the public main or the right-of-way. The building sewer on your property is the owner's to maintain and repair.
Source: DeKalb County Code Ch. 25, Art. IV, Div. 3 — Building Sewers and Connections (Municode, Supp. 72)
Should I get my septic tank pumped during a flood?
No. EPA says not to open a tank for pumping while the soil is still saturated.
Who do I call about a sinkhole near a sewer line?
DeKalb's emergency dispatch; its call list includes sinkholes along with spills and main breaks.
Source: DeKalb Watershed Management Service Call List (revised July 11, 2025)
Do emergency calls cost more?
HomeGuide reports cleanup companies often add $200 to $500 after hours. Whoever you call, ask for the full price before work starts.
Source: HomeGuide — How Much Does Sewage Cleanup Cost? (Aug. 22, 2025)
Nearby areas
Emergency help around Stonecrest
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
- 1Trouble Resource Guide | Stonecrest, GA
- 2DeKalb County Code Ch. 25, Art. IV, Div. 3 — Building Sewers and Connections (Municode, Supp. 72)
- 3CDC — Floodwater After a Disaster or Emergency
- 4US EPA — Septic Systems: What to Do after the Flood
- 5DeKalb Watershed Management Service Call List (revised July 11, 2025)
- 6Census TIGERweb Hydro MapServer — hydrography intersecting Stonecrest city (place 1373784)
- 7US EPA — DeKalb County Clean Water Act Settlement
- 8US EPA — DeKalb County, Georgia Clean Water Act Settlement Modified (Oct. 22, 2020)
- 9DeKalb County 2022 Current Rates — Water and Sewer Rates and Service Charges (via Wayback)
- 10Septic Systems | DeKalb Public Health
- 11HomeGuide — How Much Does Sewage Cleanup Cost? (Aug. 22, 2025)
- 12HomeGuide — How Much Does Sewer Line Replacement Cost? (Dec. 22, 2025)
- 13HomeGuide — How Much Does Septic Tank System Repair Cost? (Dec. 22, 2025)
Ready when you are
Backed up in Stonecrest? Call now and ask how soon we can arrive.
Stop the water, stay clear of the spill and call. We'll tell you whether it looks like your line, your tank or the county's main.
(678) 863-5620- Georgia DPH-certified installer & pumper
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- Oxford, GA
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or call (678) 863-5620