Quick answer
For water damage in Carlton, GA, shut off your main valve first, or turn off the well pump breaker if you are on a private well. For a leak at the meter or in the street, call Carlton City Hall at 706-797-3210. Then call a water damage restoration company; drying should start within 24 to 48 hours, before mold sets in.
Do this first
After-hours water lines.
- Shut off the water. Close your main valve, or turn off the well pump breaker if you are on a private well. Inside the city, call Carlton City Hall at 21 Seventh Street, 706-797-3210, for a leak at the meter or in the street. The county septic office is on our Comer page.
- Make it safe and document it. Cut power to wet rooms from a dry spot, photograph the damage, then report the claim.
- Start drying within 24 to 48 hours. Crawlspaces, basements, and slab homes with carpet hold moisture longer than they look.
Creeks and low roads can flood within hours of a hard rain. Never drive or walk through moving water. Creek and river floodwater can carry sewage and septic runoff, so treat it as contaminated.
What to know about water damage in Carlton
71%
Share of homes inside Carlton built before 1980. Supply lines, water heaters, and drains in homes that age are the usual source of leaks.
Berkley on the freight bills
Carlton was the first of Madison County's four railroad communities and was incorporated in 1892. The railroad used the name Berkley so freight would not get mixed up with Carrollton.
Sources: Madison GAGenWeb, Vanishing Georgia, Carlton
Two shallow wells
The city's water comes from two wells 48 to 50 feet deep in the Quaternary Buried Artesian aquifer.
Broad River crests
The Broad River gauge above Carlton reaches minor flooding at 15 feet. Its top crests were 39 feet on August 25, 1908 and 28.2 feet on December 10, 1919.
Source: National Water Prediction Service, Broad River above Carlton
Check your ZIP
How often does Madison County get flash flood warnings?
The National Weather Service issued 8 flash flood warnings that included Madison County from 2016 through November 11, 2026, peaking at 5 in 2019. Each one means flooding is happening or about to happen.
Source: our count from the National Weather Service warning archive, Iowa Environmental Mesonet.
| Year | Warnings |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 5 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 1 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 1 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 | 1 |
Cost and insurance in Carlton
How much does water damage restoration cost in Carlton?
Most jobs run $450 to $16,000 (Angi). River flooding needs a separate flood policy. Crawlspaces under older homes take longer.
Water removal and restoration in Carlton
The company that answers handles leaks in older houses, water under mobile homes, septic backups, and runoff from the Broad River bottoms, plus burst pipes, appliance leaks, drying, and septic backups.
Carlton questions
Who do I call about a leak at the meter?
Call Carlton City Hall at 706-797-3210. Meters are read at the end of the month and bills are due on the 25th.
Does Cloud Creek flood near Watson Mill?
The Cloud Creek gauge near Watson Mill Bridge State Park, about 7 miles away, reaches minor flooding at 38 feet. Its highest crest was 42.71 feet on December 31, 2015.
Does Carlton water reach outside the city?
Yes. The Madison County service delivery map shows Carlton water serving the city and some unincorporated areas around it.
Which ZIP codes does this page cover?
ZIP 30627, including Carlton and nearby parts of the county.