Short answer: In Smyrna, the sewer lateral that runs from your house to the public main is the property owner's responsibility. If backups keep returning, a camera inspection shows whether you have roots, a break, a sag or a collapse, and whether cleaning, a spot repair, lining or replacement is the right fix. Call the City of Smyrna at (770) 431-2850 first if you are not sure whether the problem is in the city main.
Signs your sewer line needs attention
- Several drains slow or backing up at the same time
- Water rising in a tub, shower or floor drain when a toilet is flushed or the washer drains
- Gurgling toilets and bubbling drains
- Sewer gas smell inside or in the yard
- A soggy, sunken or unusually green strip of lawn along the sewer path
- Clogs that come back within weeks or months after cleaning
- Rodents or insects around a cleanout or foundation
- Cracks in a slab or foundation near where the line exits
One slow drain is usually a drain cleaning job. Repeated main line backups are a sewer line question.
Whose pipe is it? City main or your lateral
The public sewer main runs under the street or along an easement. The lateral is the pipe from your house to that main. In Smyrna, the lateral is the property owner's responsibility. If you think the problem may be in the street, the City of Smyrna says to call Water Distribution at (770) 431-2850; a city technician will check the main. If the main is flowing, the blockage is in your lateral and you need a plumber.
Some homes with a Smyrna mailing address, especially in unincorporated areas near Vinings, Belmont Hills and Mableton, are served by the Cobb County Water System rather than the city. Your water and sewer bill tells you which. Read who fixes what in Smyrna for the full breakdown.
What damages sewer lines in Smyrna
Tree roots
Older Smyrna neighborhoods are known for mature trees. Roots seek moisture and work into pipe joints, especially in older clay and cast iron lines. Once inside, they grow into a mat that catches paper and grease. Cleaning cuts them back, but they return, usually faster each time, until the joint is sealed or the section is replaced.
Age and pipe material
Homes built in Smyrna's post-war boom, after the Lockheed plant reopened in 1951, often have original clay or cast iron laterals. Clay joints separate and crack; cast iron corrodes and scales from the inside. Newer homes usually have PVC, which resists roots but can still be damaged by settling or poor installation.
Clay soil movement
Georgia's red clay swells when it is wet and shrinks when it dries. Over years, that movement can shift pipe joints, crack older pipe, and create sags where waste settles and builds up.
Grease and wipes
Grease and so-called flushable wipes do not cause the break, but they turn a rough or root-filled line into a blocked one much faster.
Construction and utility work
Driveway work, landscaping, fences and utility boring can damage laterals. Atlanta Gas Light runs a cross bore inspection program because trenchless drilling for gas lines can occasionally pass through a sewer pipe, and its project list includes work in Smyrna. If a cutting tool were run into a sewer line with a gas pipe through it, it could strike the gas line, so a camera inspection before aggressive cleaning is a good habit where boring has been done nearby.
Camera inspection: the step you should not skip
A sewer camera is a waterproof camera on a cable, pushed through the line from a cleanout. It shows:
- Roots and where they enter
- Cracks, holes and broken sections
- Offset or separated joints
- Sags, also called bellies, where water sits
- Collapsed or crushed pipe
- Grease and scale buildup
- The depth and location of a problem, using a locator
We share the footage with you. If anyone recommends replacing your sewer line, you should be able to see why. A camera inspection is also smart before buying an older home, since a failing lateral is an unwelcome surprise after closing.
A real person answers 24 hours a day and tells you what to do first, before anyone comes out.
Repair options, from smallest to largest
| Option | What it is | When it fits |
|---|---|---|
| Cleaning and root cutting | Cable or jetting to clear roots and buildup | Light roots, pipe structurally sound; a stop gap if roots are heavy |
| Spot repair | Dig at one point and replace a short section | One break, offset joint or root entry point |
| Pipe lining (CIPP) | A resin-coated liner is inserted and cured inside the old pipe, creating a new pipe within it | Cracks and root entry along a line that still holds its shape and slope |
| Pipe bursting | A new pipe is pulled through as the old pipe is split apart, using small access pits | Badly damaged pipe along a reasonably straight path |
| Traditional replacement | Excavate and replace the line | Collapses, major sags, wrong slope, or where trenchless is not possible |
Angi notes that trenchless methods do not suit every pipe; a collapsed line or one with improper slope may need to be excavated. We will tell you which options actually fit your line, not just the one with the highest ticket.
Trenchless or dig: what to weigh
- Landscaping and hardscape: if the line runs under a driveway, patio, mature trees or a finished basement, trenchless can save a lot of restoration work.
- Condition of the pipe: lining needs a pipe that still holds its shape; bursting needs room to pull the new pipe through.
- Slope: if a sag is the problem, a liner will follow the sag. Excavation may be the only real fix.
- Depth and length: deep or long runs change the math for both methods.
Before any digging: 811
Georgia law requires anyone digging to contact Georgia 811 before excavating so buried utility lines can be marked. That includes sewer repairs in your own yard. A licensed plumber handles the locate request as part of the job. If you are doing any digging yourself, call 811 first.
If sewage has backed up into the house
- Stop using water in the house: no flushing, showers, laundry or dishwasher.
- Keep children and pets out of the area.
- Do not touch sewage with bare skin; use gloves and boots.
- Ventilate if you can do so safely.
- Call the city at (770) 431-2850 during business hours, or the after-hours water and sewer emergency line at (770) 434-6666, if you think the main may be involved. Then call us.
- Photograph the damage for insurance. Many standard policies exclude sewer backup unless you added a water or sewer backup endorsement.
- Contaminated carpet, pad and drywall usually need removal by a water damage restoration company.
Keeping your sewer line healthy
- Keep grease, wipes and paper towels out of drains and toilets
- Know where your cleanout is, and add one if you do not have it
- Consider scheduled root cutting if you have trees near an older clay or cast iron line
- Plant new trees away from the sewer path
- Get a camera inspection when buying an older home, and every few years if you have had root problems
How to choose a sewer line contractor
- See the footage. Ask for a copy of the camera inspection and have the problem pointed out to you on screen.
- Ask for options, not just one answer. A fair contractor explains spot repair, lining and replacement and why one fits your line better.
- Get the scope in writing: length of pipe, method, cleanout installation, permits, 811 locate, backfill and restoration.
- Ask about the warranty on both the pipe and the labor.
- Confirm licensing and insurance. Sewer work involves excavation and connections to the public system. See our Georgia plumber license guide.
- Get a second opinion on a full replacement if the first recommendation came after a single backup and no camera inspection.
Adding a cleanout
Many older Smyrna homes have no outside sewer cleanout, which means every main line cleaning has to go through a toilet, a roof vent or an interior access point. That makes the job slower and messier. A two-way cleanout installed near the foundation lets a plumber clean toward the street or toward the house and gives a camera direct access. If your line is being repaired, adding a cleanout at the same time is usually a modest extra and pays for itself the first time the line needs service.
Townhomes, condos and shared lines
In attached housing, several units can share a lateral before it reaches the main. A backup may appear in one unit even though the blockage is caused upstream. Association documents usually define which lines are common elements. When we inspect a shared line, we note where the problem sits relative to each unit's connection, which helps owners and the association settle responsibility.
Orangeburg pipe in post-war homes
From the end of World War II into the early 1970s, some builders used Orangeburg pipe, a fiber pipe made of wood pulp and pitch, for sewer laterals because it was light and easy to install. Over decades it softens, deforms into an oval shape, blisters inside and eventually collapses. Smyrna's biggest building boom happened in exactly that window, after Lockheed reopened its plant in 1951, so some laterals from that era may be Orangeburg. A camera inspection identifies it quickly. Because it deforms rather than simply cracking, Orangeburg usually cannot be lined and is best replaced, by excavation or pipe bursting.
Sewer line service across Smyrna
Sewer laterals in established, tree-lined neighborhoods like Forest Hills, Bennett Woods and Cooper Lake and Cheney Woods and Smyrna Heights are where roots and aging clay pipe are most likely to show up. Older homes around Williams Park and in parts of Mableton can have very old laterals too. See all service areas.
More plumbing services in Smyrna
- Emergency plumber in Smyrna: 24/7 burst pipes, no water, backups and leaks.
- Drain cleaning in Smyrna: Clogged sinks, tubs, toilets and main line backups.
- Leak detection & slab leaks in Smyrna: Hidden leaks in walls, slabs and yard lines.
- Pipe repair & repiping in Smyrna: Burst pipes, polybutylene and galvanized replacement.
- Water heater repair & installation in Smyrna: Tank and tankless repair and replacement.
- Water line repair in Smyrna: Main service line from the meter to the house.
- Toilet & faucet repair in Smyrna: Running toilets, drips, fixtures and disposals.
Helpful Smyrna plumbing guides
Neighborhoods we serve
Licensed plumbers for homes in Market Village & Williams Park, Forest Hills, Bennett Woods & Cooper Lake, Cheney Woods & Smyrna Heights, Belmont Hills & King Springs, Vinings, Cumberland & The Battery, Mableton & Riverview. See every Smyrna service area or contact us.
Sources
- Angi, sewer line repair guide (trenchless limitations)
- City of Smyrna, Utility Services FAQ
- City of Smyrna, Water and Sewer Division (after-hours emergency line)
- Atlanta Gas Light, cross bore sewer inspections
- Georgia 811
- Smyrna, Georgia (post-war growth)
Written and reviewed by Alex, a Smyrna local with an MBA who researches and edits every page on this site, citing official and published sources. Updated October 25, 2026.
Plumbing work is performed by independent, licensed Georgia plumbers. General information, not legal or insurance advice.