Commercial Plumbing in Garner, NC

Whose rules apply to a Garner business, the Town's or Raleigh's?

Both, for different things. The City of Raleigh owns and operates the water and wastewater systems in Garner's urban service area, and the Town decides where new lines are extended. Garner-area sewer has gone to Raleigh's Neuse River Resource Recovery Facility since 2008. So water service, sewer and backflow follow Raleigh Water, while building and plumbing permits come from the Town of Garner Inspections Department through its online Permit and Inspection Portal; paper applications are no longer accepted.

How often does a commercial backflow assembly get tested here?

Under Raleigh Water's program, testable assemblies on domestic and fire services are tested at installation, at replacement and every year by a City of Raleigh Certified Tester. Commercial irrigation assemblies are due every year by July 1; residential irrigation runs on a three-year cycle. Reports are filed electronically through the VEPO portal. Most homes only have a non-testable dual check in the meter box, but businesses with testable assemblies are on the annual list.

Why does an older Garner building need more attention?

About 28% of Garner homes were built before 1980, a far higher share than in Cary, Apex or Knightdale, and many commercial buildings along US 70, US 401 and Timber Drive and in the Downtown Garner Historic District date from the same decades. Older buildings tend to have cast iron drains, aging supply lines and fixtures that have been patched over the years. A camera inspection before a tenant build-out or after a repeat clog can show whether a line needs cleaning or repair. Raleigh maintains the water line to the property line; from there into the building belongs to the owner.

The water is soft, about 25 ppm hardness, and carries chloramine most of the year with a short chlorine-only period each spring. Equipment that is sensitive to chloramine, such as some filtration systems, should be set up with that in mind.

A note on gas

Garner's utilities page lists PSNC, now Enbridge Gas North Carolina, for natural gas. If anyone smells gas in the building, get everyone out and call 911 or Enbridge at 1-877-776-2427 from outside before calling a plumber.