Leak Detection in Lithia Springs, GA

Local conditions in Lithia Springs

Lithia Springs was a city until residents dissolved its charter in 2000, and it is now an unincorporated community in northeastern Douglas County with a mix of homes and apartments. The housing is older than much of the county: the median home was built in 1987, and about 34% predate 1980. In those homes, original valves, galvanized or early copper runs and long service lines are the usual suspects; newer homes tend to leak at fittings and hoses.

WSA, Douglas County's sole water provider, owns the meter and the lines in the road right-of-way. Homeowners are responsible for the water and sewer lines on the property from the meter to the house. For a problem at the meter or in the road, call WSA at 770-949-7617 on weekdays or 770-942-6633 after hours. WSA's service line inventory found no lead service lines in its distribution system. Because Lithia Springs is unincorporated, plumbing permits come from Douglas County Building Permits and Inspections, which requires permits for new or renovation plumbing work, including lawn irrigation systems.

Detection approaches compared

Signs to watch for

• A meter that moves with everything off
• Damp crawl space insulation or a musty smell
• Stains below a bathroom
• Rusty water at the first morning draw in older homes
• Wet ground between the meter and the house

Timing and seasonal notes

Older crawl space homes are exposed in hard freezes, and a split pipe may only leak after it thaws. In summer, check irrigation separately; WSA requires yearly backflow testing by a certified tester from its list, and Douglas County permits cover irrigation work. Gas here comes through Austell Gas System, so a gas smell means leaving the house and calling 911 and Austell Gas at 770-948-1841, option 1, from outside.