Douglasville, GA
Water damage in Douglasville: a railroad town and the county seat
The Douglasville Commercial Historic District covers 14 acres around the courthouse square, which Wikipedia calls its oldest resource, and takes in the old railroad right-of-way across Broad Street. The district went onto the National Register of Historic Places on 24 July 1989. Founded in 1874 as the railroad came through, Douglasville was designated the county seat that year, and in 2020 it counted 34,650 residents. Lithia Springs lies about 6 miles northeast along U.S. Route 78. A split pipe or a soaked floor here gets the same questions as anywhere in the service area. Ask whether a contractor can take the job at your street address.
Gather before dialing
Before you call about a Douglasville house
- The street address, and whether it is inside the city limits or in the county
- Which electric company sends the bill, Georgia Power or GreyStone Power
- The wet room, and the room above it if the water came down
- Photos of the stain, the floor and anything the water touched
- Renting? In the city, roughly half of occupied homes have renters, and the property manager is told first
How the houses were built
For the city of Douglasville, the Census Bureau's 2020-2024 survey counts about 15,356 homes with a median build year of 2001. Of those, about 6,091 date from 2000 to 2009 and 2,652 from the 1990s. About 52 percent of occupied homes are rented (7,288 of 14,104).
Trouble the wet houses share
What shows up where half the homes are rented
- Water that travels between units. With 7,288 of the city's 14,104 occupied homes rented, a leak can start in one household and show up in another.
- Houses from the 1990s and 2000s. About 8,743 of the 15,356 homes were built in those two decades. A median year of 2001 makes the typical house about 25 years old, past the 10-to-15-year average that Vermont's state energy site gives for a water heater.
- Storm water. The September 2009 rain that took Sweetwater Creek to the 500-year level hit Douglasville too, where Wikipedia reports more than 18 inches in one night.
- City limits and the power company. The city offers an address lookup map to check whether a location is inside Douglasville or in unincorporated Douglas County, and the answer points to Georgia Power or to GreyStone Power.
Who answers for which line
A short table of who to phone
| Service | Who provides it | What to know |
|---|---|---|
| Water, sewer, stormwater | Douglasville-Douglas County Water and Sewer Authority | 770-949-7617 on weekdays; 770-942-6633 after hours, emergencies only |
| Lines from the meter to the house | The homeowner | A plumber can tell which side of the meter a problem is on |
| Electricity | Georgia Power for most of the city; GreyStone Power for most of the county | Georgia Power 1-888-660-5890; GreyStone 770-942-6576; the bill shows which |
| Natural gas | Check the bill | For a gas odor, a leak or an emergency, Atlanta Gas Light lists 877.427.4321 |
| City hall | City of Douglasville, 6758 Spring Street | The city lists 770-920-3000 as its main line |
Neighborhood pointers
- The city offers an address lookup map for telling whether a house is inside Douglasville or in unincorporated Douglas County. The answer matters for the electric company.
- Water service in Douglasville comes from WSA, the city's page says. WSA lists 770-949-7617 and 770-942-6633, and the second is its after-hours line for emergencies only.
- Georgia Power lists 1-888-660-5890 for residential customers. For a downed line it advises calling 911 or 1-888-891-0938 to have it barricaded.
- More than 18 inches of rain fell in one night in September 2009, Wikipedia reports, and Douglasville was among the hardest-hit places. Mention any past flooding when you describe the job.
- When water from an upstairs unit has reached the one below, call (678) 940-9083 after telling the property manager.
Gather the street address, the name of the wet room and some phone photos. Renting? The landlord or property manager hears first. Then call (678) 940-9083 to ask if a contractor covers Lithia Springs, Douglasville or Winston.
Call (678) 940-9083