Winston, GA
Water damage in Winston: an old cabin, a lost charter, two counties
The Carnes Cabin, a pre-Civil War residence on the National Register of Historic Places, sits a one-mile hike into the Clinton Nature Preserve, a 200-acre Douglas County park at 8720 Ephesus Church Road. Wikipedia places the preserve in Winston, though the county's page gives it a Villa Rica mailing address. Winston itself is unincorporated in southwestern Douglas County, a town from 1906 until its charter was repealed in 1995. Roof leaks and split pipes both have pages of their own, and rain through a roof is one of them. Ask whether a contractor reaches your address, since ZIP code 30187 also covers part of Carroll County.
Gather before dialing
What to know before you dial from Winston
- The street address and which county it is in, Douglas or Carroll
- Whether the house drains to a septic tank or to a sewer main
- Which company sends the electric bill
- The wet room and where the water seems to start
- Renting? Only about 11 percent of occupied homes in 30187 are rented, but a renter still tells the landlord first
How the houses were built
In ZIP code 30187, which also covers part of Carroll County, the Census Bureau's 2020-2024 survey counts about 3,108 homes with a median build year of 1994. About 876 date from the 1990s and 794 from the 2000s. Only 311 of 2,951 occupied homes (about 11 percent) are rented, so most households own the house they live in.
Trouble the wet houses share
Where a wet house in Winston tends to need extra questions
- Septic tanks. WSA's packet sets a five-year pumping interval in the Dog River drainage basin, and WSA's page advises a plumber for any sewage backup. Tell the contractor whether the house is on a tank or a sewer line.
- A ZIP code that crosses a county line. ZIP code 30187 covers part of Carroll County too, so the Census figures include houses outside Douglas County, and a phone call starts with the street.
- Homes of the 1990s. About 1,670 of the 3,108 homes date from the 1990s and 2000s. A median year of 1994 makes the typical house about 32 years old, past the 10-to-15-year average that Vermont's state energy site gives for a water heater.
- Roof water. Georgia's emergency agency lists tornado outbreaks in March 2007 and March 2008, and the storm-damage page covers what rain through a roof leaves behind.
Who answers for which line
Who to ask about the pipes and the power
| Service | Who provides it | What to know |
|---|---|---|
| Water, sewer, stormwater (Douglas County side) | Douglasville-Douglas County Water and Sewer Authority | Weekdays 770-949-7617; after hours 770-942-6633, emergencies only |
| Septic tanks | The homeowner | WSA's packet requires pumping at least every five years in the Dog River drainage basin |
| Electricity | GreyStone Power for most of unincorporated Douglas County | 770-942-6576 for service, 1-866-473-9786 for outages; the bill shows the supplier |
| Natural gas | Check the bill | For a gas odor, a leak or an emergency, Atlanta Gas Light lists 877.427.4321 |
| Carroll County side | Not covered by these sources | Ask the contractor, and check the water bill, for the right office |
Neighborhood pointers
- Check which county the address is in before anything else. WSA's pages speak for Douglas County, and the 30187 ZIP code also covers part of Carroll County.
- On the Douglas County side, WSA lists 770-949-7617 on weekdays and 770-942-6633 for after-hours emergencies.
- WSA's new-service packet requires septic tanks in the Dog River drainage basin to be pumped at least every five years. Tell the contractor whether the house is on a tank or a sewer line.
- The City of Douglasville says most of unincorporated Douglas County is served by GreyStone Power, which lists 1-866-473-9786 for outages. The bill shows who supplies the house.
- When the water came through the roof and the attic insulation looks dark, call (678) 940-9083.
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