Backflow Testing in Riverdale, GA

Signs you need a plumber, not a tester

• A soggy strip of lawn between the meter and the house
• A hiss or running sound with every fixture off
• Low pressure that started after work at the meter
• Plans for sprinklers, a pool fill or an outdoor kitchen
• An old supply line that leaks every time it's disturbed
• A water bill that jumped without a change in use

How backflow works in Riverdale

Riverdale is a western Clayton County city just south of Hartsfield-Jackson, founded as a railroad stop in 1886. Water, sewer and stormwater come from the Clayton County Water Authority, which serves the whole county and its six cities. CCWA's backflow program is different from most of the metro. The authority installs backflow devices at all customer connections, and its own state-certified backflow specialists test each one every year, on a schedule tied to meter reading. They make repairs too. Non-residential accounts pay a monthly per-connection fee that covers testing and repair.

So a Riverdale homeowner has no annual test to book and no report to file. The device at the connection is CCWA's to test and repair. What isn't CCWA's is the pipe after the meter. CCWA's service line runs from the main to the meter, and the line from the meter to the house is owned by the customer. Leaks on that line, a failed fitting on the house side of the connection, or new plumbing that adds a cross-connection are all owner jobs that need a plumber.

Riverdale's housing has a median build year of 1990, with about a third of homes built before 1980. Older service lines in those homes are often what gives out first. Plumbing work in the city goes on Riverdale's Trade Permit Application, which covers plumbing, electrical and mechanical permits.

What affects the cost

• Finding the leak: a visible drip versus one under the yard
• Pipe material and how much of the line needs replacing
• Depth and the distance from meter to house
• Driveways, walkways or landscaping in the way
• Trade permit and inspection steps for new or replacement piping

What happens when you call

You'll be put through to an independent plumber who serves Riverdale. Say where the water is showing up and whether CCWA recently worked at the meter. If the problem looks like it's in the device itself, the plumber may suggest calling CCWA first.