Quick answer
For water damage in Cataula, 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, call Harris County Water Works at 706-324-1175. 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. Harris County Water Works, based at 920 Grant Road in Cataula, serves unincorporated Harris County; call 706-324-1175 for a leak at the meter or in the street. The county septic office is on our Hamilton 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.
FEMA's flood map puts about 5% of the land inside Cataula in the high-risk flood zone, mostly along Whetstone Branch and Standing Boy Creek. The map panels for this area took effect in 2012. Check your own address on FEMA's Flood Map Service Center. Never drive or walk through moving water, and treat floodwater as contaminated.
What to know about water damage in Cataula
9,300
Customers served by Harris County Water Works from its office in Cataula. The county treats Chattahoochee River water at its own 3 million gallon a day plant.
Source: Harris County Water Works
Withered mulberry
The name comes from the Muscogee word kitali, meaning withered mulberry. Cataula sits on Cataula Creek, which flows into Mulberry Creek.
Source: Wikipedia, Cataula, Georgia
Water from Lake Harding
The county pumps from the Chattahoochee River at Lake Harding to its filtration plant on Bartletts Ferry Road. In high demand it buys water from Columbus, and Talbot County water serves the Melody Lakes subdivision.
Your side of the meter
Harris County Water Works owns the line from the main to the meter box. The pipe from the meter box to the house belongs to the owner.
Source: Harris County Water Works
County sewer, one development
County sewer goes only to the Mulberry Grove development, and Columbus Water Works treats it for a fee.
Source: Harris County Water Works
Homes in 31804
Half the homes in ZIP 31804 were built in 1999 or later, and 26% went up in 2010 or later. In newer houses, a failed washing machine hose, ice maker line, or plumbing fitting is a common source of a sudden leak.
Check your ZIP
How often does Harris County get flash flood warnings?
The National Weather Service issued 25 flash flood warnings that included Harris County from 2016 through November 11, 2026, peaking at 6 in 2024. 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 | 1 |
| 2018 | 2 |
| 2019 | 3 |
| 2020 | 3 |
| 2021 | 1 |
| 2022 | 3 |
| 2023 | 1 |
| 2024 | 6 |
| 2025 | 1 |
| 2026 | 4 |
Cost and insurance in Cataula
How much does water damage restoration cost in Cataula?
Most jobs run $450 to $16,000 (Angi). Creek flooding needs a separate flood policy. Mobile homes and crawlspaces take longer.
Water removal and restoration in Cataula
The company that answers handles runoff along Whetstone Branch and Standing Boy Creek, supply line and water heater leaks, septic backups, and water under mobile homes, plus burst pipes, appliance leaks, drying, and septic backups.
Cataula questions
Who do I call about a leak at the meter?
Call Harris County Water Works at 706-324-1175, 8 to 5 on weekdays. The office is at 920 Grant Road.
How far is Cataula from Columbus?
About 16 miles southwest on US 27; LaGrange is 33 miles north.
Which ZIP codes does this page cover?
ZIP 31804, including Cataula and nearby parts of the county.
Related guides
Other Georgia towns- Sewage backup: what to do first
- Water mitigation vs. restoration
- Mold after water damage
- Mold remediation cost
- Does homeowners insurance cover water damage?
- How long water damage takes to dry
- Water in the crawl space
Local phone numbers checked November 2026: