Water line, sewer line or septic tank: which Canton-area office answers first

A ZIP code follows the post office, not a city limit: Wikipedia says mail in Macedonia runs through 30107, 30114 and 30115. The bill is a better guide. The City of Canton reads meters and bills monthly, and the Cherokee County Water and Sewerage Authority says it serves more than 225,000 residents of the county.

Set the bill beside the phone. The name on it is the first office to ask about water, and that office can be asked who handles sewer at the address.

The City of Canton's Water and Sewer Department answers customer questions at 770-704-1502, with weekday hours of 8 to 5. For a water outage, leak or sewer-related emergency outside those hours, the department's page gives the Operations number, 770-479-2392.

That page never names sewer backups and gives no street address for the department. Say what is happening, and ask whether it is a problem the department handles.

The county's zoning FAQ sends water and sewer questions from unincorporated addresses to the Cherokee County Water and Sewerage Authority, 770-479-1813. The authority's home page puts it at 140 West Main Street in Canton, lists no after-hours or emergency number, and does not say which channel suits a leak or a backup.

For an address inside a city, the same FAQ says to contact that city's own water or sewer department. A county report says Holly Springs has annexed part of the Hickory Flat area, so an address there can land on either side.

For septic questions the county FAQ lists 770-479-0444, at the North Georgia Health District. The district's Environmental Health page says its specialists evaluate properties for septic permits and teach homeowners about their systems. It lists a Dalton office at 706-529-5757 and names no Cherokee County office, so the county's number is the one printed here.

None of the pages read explains how to tell whether a lot has sewer or a tank, or what a failing tank looks like. When the answer is unclear, the authority at 770-479-1813 is the next office to ask.

Creek and river water is a floodplain matter. The county's floodplain page lists a stormwater line, 678-493-6074, and says FEMA issued revised flood maps on 7 June 2019. It names the Etowah River, Little River, Long Swamp Creek, Shoal Creek, Solacoa Creek and Sharp Mountain Creek among its waterways.

In the National Weather Service table for September 2009, the Free Home gauge on Settingdown Creek has a 13-foot flood stage and a 14.23-foot crest on 22 September. The CDC adds that a flooded house may carry sewage contamination.

Some problems are not an office question. The gas company's emergency page tells readers to get out immediately, avoid anything that could spark, and call 877.427.4321 or 911 only once they are in a safe place. For electricity, the CDC rules out flipping the main switch or plugging in a tool from a spot where you stand in water. FEMA points out that a ceiling can hold trapped water and that floors may be unsafe to walk on.

In each case 911 or the utility comes first, and every office above comes after.

When the checks above leave a gap, the problem itself can pick the page: sewage backup cleanup fits a drain that runs backward, and burst pipe damage fits a split supply line.

Call (678) 658-3988, give the street and say what is wet; the contractor can help sort out which of these lines applies.