HammerDuck › Plumbing › Water & Sewer Lines
Main Water Line and Sewer Line Repair in Augusta and the CSRA
A wet spot in the yard that never dries, a water bill that doubled, or every drain in the house backing up at once: the problem is in the line between the street and the house. Post the job free and local plumbers who do underground work bid on it.
Whose pipe
Who owns which line, and why it decides who pays.
As a rule across the CSRA, the water utility owns the main in the street and the meter; the homeowner owns the service line from the meter to the house. On the sewer side, the utility owns the main and usually the tap; the homeowner owns the lateral from the house to the tap, often including the part under the yard and sometimes under the sidewalk. Confirm the exact line with your provider before anyone digs, because that boundary decides whether a repair is yours or theirs.
- Augusta-Richmond County: Augusta Utilities serves water and sewer inside the city and much of the county. Hephzibah and Blythe have their own arrangements.
- Columbia County: Columbia County Water Utility serves most of Evans, Martinez and the unincorporated county; Grovetown and Harlem run their own city systems.
- Aiken County, SC: the cities of Aiken and North Augusta each run their own water and sewer, with the Aiken County Public Service Authority treating the wastewater for both; outside the two cities, service depends on the address and many rural homes are on wells and septic.
- Septic: outside the sewered areas, "sewer line" means the line to the tank and the drain field, which is a septic Pro's job and, in Georgia, a county health department matter.
Finding it
How Pros find a break without digging up the yard.
Water line: a plumber shuts the house off at the main valve and watches the meter. If it still turns, the leak is between the meter and the house. Acoustic listening gear and, on a long run, a line locator narrow it to a few feet before a shovel comes out. On slab homes in Columbia County, the same gear finds a leak under the slab so the plumber can reroute the line overhead instead of cutting concrete.
Sewer line: a camera goes down the cleanout and shows the pipe on a screen: roots at a joint, a bellied section holding water, a collapsed clay or Orangeburg pipe, a crushed spot under the driveway. A locator on the camera head marks the depth and the spot in the yard. Ask for the video; it is your evidence for a quote and, if it comes to that, for an insurance claim.
Old Augusta neighborhoods still have clay sewer laterals with root intrusion at every joint, and galvanized or old copper water lines that have corroded from the inside. Red clay heave and settlement break rigid lines over time; tree roots do the rest.
The fix
Trenchless or dig: what the quote should say.
- Spot repair: dig at the break, replace a section, backfill. Right when the rest of the line is sound
- Full replacement by trench: the old line out, new PEX or PVC water line or new PVC sewer in, with proper bedding and slope
- Trenchless water line: a new line pulled through the old path with only two pits, which saves the driveway and the landscaping
- Trenchless sewer: pipe bursting (a new pipe pulled through as the old one is split) or a cured-in-place liner, when the old pipe is in one piece and the slope is right
- Utility locates called before any digging (811), and the permit pulled by the plumber where the jurisdiction requires one, which is most of them for a water service or sewer lateral replacement
- Restoration: what happens to the lawn, the walk and the driveway after, and whether that is in the price
Pricing depends on the length and depth of the line, what is on top of it (grass, concrete, a tree), the method, and whether the street connection is involved. A camera video and a rough length from meter to house get you quotes you can compare. In Georgia the work is done by a licensed plumber; in South Carolina by a licensed plumber or residential specialty contractor.
By area
Water and sewer line work around Augusta, county by county.
Augusta and Richmond County. The oldest lines in the CSRA: clay laterals, galvanized services, roots from the oaks. Plumbers in Augusta, Hephzibah, Blythe.
Columbia County: Evans, Martinez, Grovetown, Harlem. Newer PVC and copper, but red clay settlement, slab leaks and long service runs on big lots. Evans, Martinez, Grovetown, Harlem.
North Augusta and Aiken, SC. Sandy soil that is easy to trench and easy to wash out around a leak. North Augusta, Aiken.
Rural counties. Wells, septic and long private lines; the right Pro is one who does both plumbing and septic work. Thomson, Waynesboro, Louisville.
On HammerDuck right now
Recent home projects across the CSRA.
Jobs CSRA homeowners posted here, newest first. A name, address, photo or price is never shown.
- Fence RepairTaking quotes
- Floor Prep, Repair & RecoatingTaking quotes
- Kitchen & Bath jobTaking quotes
- EV Charger InstallationTaking quotes
- Garage Door InstallationTaking quotes
Updated October 24, 2026. Post yours free and local Home Service Pros come to you.
FAQ
Water and sewer lines: common questions.
How do I know if my main water line is leaking?
A wet or unusually green patch in the yard between the meter and the house, a water bill that jumped, low pressure, or a meter that keeps turning with every fixture off. A plumber confirms it by shutting the house valve and watching the meter.
Who pays for a water line break between the street and the house?
Usually the homeowner, because the service line from the meter to the house is the homeowner’s. The utility handles the main and the meter. Confirm the boundary with your provider; some homeowners carry a service line endorsement on their insurance.
How much does sewer line replacement cost in Augusta?
It depends on length, depth, what is on top of the line, and whether trenchless methods work for your pipe. Post the camera video or the symptoms on HammerDuck and compare several quotes.
Can a sewer line be replaced without digging up the yard?
Often. Pipe bursting and cured-in-place lining need only an access pit at each end, if the old pipe is in one piece and has the right slope. A collapsed or bellied section usually means a dig at that spot.
Do I need a permit to replace a water or sewer line?
In most CSRA jurisdictions a water service or sewer lateral replacement is permitted work, pulled by the licensed plumber, with an inspection before the trench is closed. Utility locates through 811 come first. Your plumber handles both.
Ready when you are
Find the break, fix the line, keep the yard.
Post your water or sewer line job with the symptoms and a photo. Plumbers in Augusta, Columbia County and Aiken County who do underground work bid on it, and you pick. Free for homeowners, no card needed.
Where these facts come from
Checked against the official pages.
- Augusta Utilities Department: about (water and wastewater for Augusta-Richmond County)
- Columbia County Water Utility Services
- City of Grovetown: Water Department
- City of Harlem: permits page (water and sewer taps through Columbia County Water Utility)
- City of Aiken: Engineering and Utilities
- City of North Augusta: Public Services
Rules and numbers change. Confirm anything that matters for your job with the office or utility named above before you hire.