Garner has a larger share of pre-1980 homes than most Wake suburbs, so sewer line repairs here often involve older pipe with roots, cracked joints or low spots. Raleigh Water owns the public sewer, and the line from the house to its main is the homeowner's to fix. Call the number on this page to be connected with a local plumber in Garner.
Who do I call about the sewer in Garner?
The City of Raleigh owns and operates the water and wastewater systems serving Garner's urban service area, through Raleigh Water. The Town decides where new lines get extended, but problems with a public main go to Raleigh Water. Garner's sewer flow was redirected to Raleigh's Neuse River Resource Recovery Facility in 2008, and the old Wrenn Road plant in Garner now handles only water plant residuals.
Raleigh's published split is for the water line: the City maintains it up to the property line and the owner is responsible from there to the house. For the sewer lateral, ask Raleigh Water to confirm where its part ends at your address before paying for work near the street.
Is my older Garner home more likely to need a repair?
Often, yes. About 28% of Garner homes were built before 1980, a much larger share than Cary (12%), Apex (4%) or Knightdale (6%). The median build year is 2001, so the town is a mix, but the older neighborhoods around the downtown historic district and the established streets near Meadowbrook Country Club have lines that have been in the ground for decades.
In those homes, clay or cast iron sewer pipe is common. Roots get into clay joints, cast iron corrodes and cracks, and old lines settle into low spots that hold waste. In Garner's newer subdivisions, plastic pipe doesn't corrode, but it can sag where backfill settled or separate at a joint.
Do I need a permit, and who issues it?
Plumbing and building permits in Garner go through the Town of Garner Inspections Department's online Permit and Inspection Portal; paper applications are no longer accepted. The plumber doing the work usually handles the permit. It's a good question to ask when you review the repair plan, especially for replacement or any job that involves excavation near the street.
One more Garner note
Lake Benson, in Garner, is one of Raleigh Water's two drinking water sources. That's about your water supply, not your sewer, but it's a reminder that Garner's utilities are Raleigh's. Keep a Raleigh Water bill handy when you call, and clear access to any outside cleanout before the plumber arrives.
Sewer Line Repair questions in Garner
Where does my responsibility for the sewer pipe end and the utility's begin?
What are sewer pipes under older houses usually made of?
How do roots get into a sewer pipe, and will they come back after it's cleared?
Who issues the permit when a sewer line repair needs one?
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