Backflow Testing in Duluth, GA

Signs it's time for a backflow visit

• A notice from Gwinnett DWR about a test or maintenance report
• An assembly near the meter that drips when the sprinklers are off
• An irrigation system added without any protection on the line
• Freeze damage to a device that sits above ground
• A new tenant or business moving into a Duluth commercial space

How it works on Gwinnett water

The City of Duluth doesn't run water or sewer. Its utilities page lists Gwinnett County Water Resources for service, and the county water emergency line is 678.376.7000. Gwinnett runs the backflow and cross-connection control program. Devices are tested by people on the county's approved backflow tester list, and test and maintenance reports are submitted to the county online. We weren't able to confirm the required testing frequency from the county pages we reviewed, so ask DWR's backflow staff at 678.376.4213 or DWRBackflow@GwinnettCounty.com.

Gwinnett maintains the meter and the small pipe from the main to it. Everything on the customer's side, including the private water line and any backflow assembly, is the property owner's.

Duluth has a railroad-era core and large areas of 1980s and 1990s housing. Subdivisions off Pleasant Hill Road and Sugarloaf Parkway often have sprinklers, and businesses along Peachtree Industrial Boulevard and Buford Highway are the kind of connections a cross-connection program watches most closely.

New plumbing, including a new or relocated assembly, is permitted by Duluth Community Development & Engineering through the city's GovWell portal.

What changes the price

• Test only versus test, repair and retest
• The kind of assembly and its size
• Whether the device was damaged by a freeze
• Number of devices on a commercial property
• Permit steps for new work
• Digging out a device buried in a meter box or under mulch

What happens when you call

You'll be connected with an independent plumber who serves Duluth. Say whether DWR asked for a report, what the device protects and whether it's leaking. If you want the report filed in the same visit, ask whether the plumber is on Gwinnett's approved tester list. If water is spraying from the device, close the irrigation valve and leave the house supply on until help arrives.