Emergency Plumbing Help in Atlanta and Its Suburbs
Atlanta proper runs the gamut from 1920s bungalows in Candler Park to brand-new towers, and the plumbing emergencies follow suit: old galvanized lines and clay sewer laterals intown, builder-grade PEX and slab runs further out. City water and sewer are one department with one emergency number, which makes the first call simple.
Who to call, and for what
Water and sewer: City of Atlanta Department of Watershed Management
One department handles both water and sewer inside the city, and the same emergency line covers main breaks and sewer spills. Inside city limits you can also just dial 311.
- Water and sewer emergencies, 24 hours (ATL311)404-546-0311
- From inside the city311
Gas leaks: Atlanta Gas Light
Smell gas? Leave first, phone from outside. 24-hour emergency number.
- Atlanta Gas Light877.427.4321
A 24/7 plumber
For the repair itself. We're a referral directory, not a contractor; this button opens our request form and we pass it to a plumber.
What breaks in Atlanta houses
Census data shows both ends at once: 12.1 percent of Atlanta's housing predates 1940 while 18.1 percent was built since 2010. The old stock is where galvanized supply lines, quirky shutoffs and clay sewer laterals live; the new stock is mostly slab-on-grade with plastic supply. (Median build year 1987, 12.1% built before 1940, 18.1% since 2010; Census ACS 2019 to 2023.)
Freeze risk, the honest version
- By NOAA's 1991 to 2020 climate normals, Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson station averages 35.7 nights a year at or below 32 degrees, with the first freeze typically around November 20 and the last around March 15.
- Georgia EPD tells homeowners to be alert for pipe freezes whenever outdoor temperatures threaten the 20 to 30 degree range, because homes here are built for occasional cold, not constant cold.
- The December 2022 freeze is the local benchmark: Atlanta bottomed at 8 degrees on December 24 and stayed below freezing all day, and metro water systems reported frozen pipes, main breaks and boil water advisories in the days after.
When a hard freeze is coming: slow drip on faucets with exposed pipes, cabinet doors open, heat steady, hoses off. The frozen pipes guide has the full prevention and thawing list.
Worth knowing locally
- The responsibility line for water leaks is the meter: from the main to the meter is the city's repair, from the meter to the house is yours.
- Atlanta runs a grease management program under city ordinance, and Watershed's warning to residents is blunt: grease down the sink can end as raw sewage backing up into your home. The grease program line is 404-546-1503.
Permits, before the big repair
The city's rule as published on ATL311: a permit is required to install, repair or replace any electrical, plumbing or HVAC equipment, and homeowners may submit their own permit application.
City of Atlanta Office of Buildings, Trade Permits Division
55 Trinity Ave. SW, Suite 3900, Atlanta, GA 30303
404-865-8550
Any plumber you hire should carry a Georgia license; check it free on the Secretary of State's license search.
The suburbs we cover
Each page carries that city's own utility numbers, permit office and housing profile.
ZIP codes we map to Atlanta
Nearby pages
Sources
Every number and local fact above comes from one of these, read 2026/10. Spot something out of date? Tell us.
- City of Atlanta Department of Watershed Management: Department of Watershed Management
- City of Atlanta Department of Watershed Management: Contact Us
- Atlanta Gas Light: Emergency Information
- ATL311: Trade permits (knowledge article KB0012499)
- City of Atlanta Department of Watershed Management: Report a Problem
- City of Atlanta Department of Watershed Management: Grease Management
- U.S. Census Bureau: American Community Survey 2019-2023 5-Year Estimates, Table B25035: Median Year Structure Built
- U.S. Census Bureau: 2019-2023 ACS 5-Year Narrative Profiles (places)
- NOAA NCEI: U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020: Atlanta Hartsfield Intl Airport
- Georgia Environmental Protection Division: Guidance to Homeowners for Preventing and Dealing With Frozen Water Pipes (rev. Feb. 2014)
- National Weather Service Atlanta: December 2022 Climate Summary
- Clayton County Water Authority: Officials Seeing Slow Improvements in Tank Levels and System Pressures (Dec. 28, 2022)
- DeKalb County: Boil Water Advisory Remains in Effect for Parts of DeKalb (Dec. 27, 2022)