Water Line Failing? Do This While You Wait
Check these before you call, and shut off the main if water is flooding.
- Look for a wet or sunken patch in the yard. Lines usually run from the meter in the front yard toward the house.
- Check the meter. The meter sits under a metal cover. Turn off everything inside, and if the leak-indicator wheel moves, water is leaking.
- Shut off the main valve at the house if water is pooling or pressure has dropped sharply.
- Keep the meter box clear. Gwinnett County asks owners to keep objects at least one foot away from it.
- Call (770) 214-4545. Dispatch answers nights, weekends and holidays.
Who Owns the Line? County and Owner Responsibilities
The meter divides public and private.
Gwinnett County Department of Water Resources treats pipes and fixtures on the customer side of the meter as the owner's responsibility. The county handles the main and the service line up to the meter.
Gwinnett County
- Water main in the street.
- Line up to the meter.
- The meter and its box.
You
- Line from the meter to the house.
- Shutoff valve at the house.
- Pressure regulator and fixtures.
The county offers a leak adjustment once every twelve months, so ask about eligibility after a repair and keep the plumber's invoice. We write down where the break was and what we fixed, because that record is what the county will want to see when you ask for the adjustment.
Call 811 Before Anyone Digs
Utility lines run through yards, and hitting one is dangerous.
Georgia 811 is a free service. Call 811 or 800-282-7411 to have utilities marked before digging. Georgia law does not require notice for small non-mechanized digging, but the service is encouraged, and we use it before any excavation.
Marked lines show where gas, electric and communication lines run, and a water line repair often crosses those routes. We do not dig until every line in the work area has been marked.
Trenching can also affect landscaping, driveways and walkways, so we discuss the path with you before we start and explain exactly what will be restored afterward. If a mature tree or a retaining wall sits along the route, we look at alternate paths that avoid damage and tell you what each option adds to the job.
Wet yard and low pressure?
Call the 24/7 line and a plumber will trace the line and explain the repair.
Repair Methods for Water Lines
The right method depends on the pipe, the path and the damage.
| Method | What it involves | Best when |
|---|---|---|
| Spot repair. | Dig to the break, cut out the damaged section, install a new piece. | A single break in a sound line. |
| Line replacement. | Install a new line along the old path or a new one. | The pipe is old or leaking in several places. |
| Alternate routing. | Run a new line around obstacles. | Driveways or trees block the old path. |
We look at the material and age of the line before recommending a method, because old galvanized or polybutylene lines often fail again after a spot repair. In those cases a full replacement saves you a second dig and a second restoration bill. If the break is inside the house, our burst pipe repair crews take over.
Repairs on the house side of the meter follow Georgia's state minimum plumbing code, which uses the 2024 International Plumbing Code (IPC) as its base. The county handles its own line up to the meter.
How We Repair a Water Line
The work follows a safe, predictable order.
- We locate the leak. Listening gear and pressure checks narrow the break to a small stretch.
- We call 811 and mark the work area. Utilities are marked before any digging begins.
- We expose the line. The trench is kept as small as the repair allows.
- We repair or replace. The new section is joined, bedded and pressure tested.
- We backfill and restore. Soil is returned and compacted, and we explain what to watch as it settles.
What Moves the Price
Digging and distance drive most of the cost.
- Length of the lineA longer run takes more pipe and more digging.
- Surface above itLawn is easier to restore than a driveway or walkway.
- Line material and depthDeeper lines and older pipe add time.
- Time of the callAfter-hours calls include overtime labor.
You hear the price before work starts, and we pause to talk if we find a larger problem.
Water Line Questions in Peachtree Corners
Yes. The line at (770) 214-4545 is open 24 hours a day, every day. Dispatch gives you the earliest window and tells you how to check the meter while you wait.
Gwinnett County Department of Water Resources treats everything on the customer side of the meter as the owner's responsibility. That includes the line to the house.
Georgia 811 marks buried utilities for free. It is encouraged even for small digging, and we use it before any excavation so we do not hit a gas, electric or communication line.
The county offers leak adjustments once every twelve months. Ask about eligibility and keep your plumber's invoice and notes.
It is in the front yard under a metal cover. Keep objects at least one foot away from it so the county can read and service it.
Yes. Our Duluth coverage uses the same dispatch line. Call and give dispatch your address.