The City of Cartersville collects wastewater through more than 170 miles of sewer lines, and the building sewer from your house to that system is the part a private plumber repairs. Roughly a third of Cartersville homes were built before 1980, so older laterals are common. Call the number on this page to be connected with a local plumber in Cartersville.
When it's the sewer line, not a single drain
- Water comes up in the shower when a toilet is flushed
- Toilets gurgle while the washer or dishwasher drains
- Every drain in the house runs slow
- A sewage smell outdoors or under the house
- Soggy, sunken ground along the pipe route
Local conditions in Cartersville
Cartersville is the Bartow County seat at the northwest edge of the metro, near Lake Allatoona, with a historic downtown and a manufacturing base. The city runs its own water utility, drawing from Lake Allatoona, and its own sewer collection system of more than 170 miles of lines. Its customer service number is 770-387-5607.
Housing here is older than in the I-575 suburbs. The median home dates to about 1990, but around 33% were built before 1980. Those older houses, especially close to downtown, are where clay or cast iron laterals turn up, with the usual problems of cracked joints, corrosion and roots. Newer homes generally have PVC, where settling and construction damage are the more common issues.
Cost factors
- How deep the line runs and how much of it is damaged
- What sits above it: driveways, porches, landscaping or trees
- Spot repair compared with lining or replacing the lateral
- Whether a cleanout exists
- City of Cartersville permits through the CityView portal, with inspections requested from the Building Department
What happens when you call
Your call reaches an independent plumber who works in Cartersville. Describe which drains are affected, how long it's been happening and whether the line has been cleared before. Cut back on water use until the visit. The plumber will usually clear the line, then run a camera to see what's causing the trouble and what the pipe is made of. If the footage points to the city's main rather than your lateral, the city's water and sewer utility is the next call. The Building Department's page doesn't list each plumbing permit type, so ask the plumber to confirm what your repair requires.
A tip for owners of older homes near downtown: if the line has been snaked several times in a few years, a camera inspection usually makes more sense than another round of clearing, because it shows whether the real problem is a break that will keep catching debris.
Sewer Line Repair questions in Cartersville
Who do I call if the backup might be in the public sewer main?
What is the sewer pipe under a house this age likely made of?
Why do tree roots keep getting into my sewer line?
What does a sewage smell outside the house usually point to?
More plumbing services in Cartersville
Sewer Line Repair nearby
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