Snellville has no water department, so Gwinnett County's Department of Water Resources is the utility for backflow. Its backflow staff answer questions, but the sources reviewed for Snellville didn't confirm testing frequency or tester rules. Call the number on this page to be connected with a local plumber in Snellville.
Snellville and Gwinnett water
Snellville is an established southern Gwinnett suburb on US 78. Its Public Works covers sanitation, stormwater and streets, not water. The city's permit page lists Gwinnett County Water & Sewer at (678) 376-6700, and new construction needs water and sewer tap receipts from the county. For backflow, contact Gwinnett DWR's backflow staff at 678.376.4213 or DWRBackflow@GwinnettCounty.com. Gwinnett maintains the main and the meter; everything on the customer's side is the owner's to maintain, repair or replace.
What to do now
- Call Gwinnett DWR first. Ask whether your connection needs a device and how often it must be tested, since we couldn't verify those details.
- Locate any device. Look near the meter or the sprinkler tap and note its tag.
- Find old reports. They show when it was last tested and by whom.
- Use a tester DWR accepts. Confirm before you book.
- Fix a failure quickly. Rebuild or replace, then retest.
- Coordinate with city inspections. Snellville does its own inspections with 24 hours' notice; plumbing subcontractors file affidavits on the permit.
Symptoms and likely causes
| Symptom | Likely cause |
|---|---|
| Puddle under the device | Worn gasket or loose union |
| Relief port dumping water | First check fouled or worn |
| Bulged cap or cracked casting | Freeze damage |
| Weak spray on every zone | Valve not fully reopened after a test |
| Hissing with no water running | A check not seating fully |
Cost factors
- Test only, or repair and retest
- Assembly type and size
- Replacement after a freeze
- Access around landscaping or a deep box
- Permit and inspection steps for new work
- More than one device on the property, such as irrigation plus a pool fill
- Digging out a box that has filled with soil or mulch
Before a hard freeze, drain the sprinkler side and wrap any assembly that sits above ground. A split body cannot be rebuilt.
About 30% of Snellville homes were built before 1980, so older houses near Main Street and Lenora Church Road may have irrigation added years after construction. If you find a device nobody has tested, start with step one. When you reach a plumber, describe what the device protects, whether it is leaking and whether Gwinnett has asked for anything in writing. If water is spraying, close the irrigation valve and leave the house supply on until help arrives.
Backflow Testing questions in Snellville
How often does a backflow assembly need testing here?
Does a house without a sprinkler system need a backflow test?
Why is my backflow device leaking or dumping water?
I just bought a house with irrigation. What should I do about backflow?
More plumbing services in Snellville
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