Backflow Testing in Cumming, GA

Whose rules apply in Cumming?

That depends on who supplies your water. Cumming is the Forsyth County seat and the county's only incorporated city, a GA-400 commuter suburb near Lake Lanier. Cumming Utilities runs water and sewer for the city, with billing at City Hall. Its service area map is published only as a PDF, and we couldn't confirm which addresses near the city fall to Cumming Utilities and which to Forsyth County Water & Sewer. Your water bill settles it.

Is there a backflow test requirement?

We weren't able to verify Cumming Utilities' backflow program, so we can't tell you whether a homeowner must test, how often or with whom. Rather than guess, call the utility that bills you and ask whether your connection needs a device, the test interval and which testers it accepts. That's especially worth doing if you have an irrigation system or run a business, the two situations utilities most often cover. A plumber who does backflow work can identify the device you have and explain what it protects, but the utility's answer is the one that counts.

What should I know about the device itself?

Cumming's housing is fairly new, with a median build year of 1998 and only about 17% of homes built before 1980. Many subdivisions came with in-ground irrigation, and lake-area homes may have extra outdoor lines for docks or landscaping. Each one is a possible cross-connection: if pressure in the main drops, water from the yard side could flow back toward the house and the public system without a device in place. A failed or leaking device is usually rebuilt with new checks and seals; a cracked body is replaced.

Inside city limits, plumbing permits come from Cumming Planning & Zoning, which takes a downloadable application and schedules inspections by phone at 770-781-2024. Outside the city, county rules apply.

A Cumming note

Near Lake Lanier and Sawnee Mountain, exposed devices on hillside lots can take the brunt of a hard freeze. Drain and wrap any outdoor device before winter. When you call, have your water bill and the device's make and size ready so the plumber can start with the right utility's requirements.