LEE COUNTY, Ga. (WALB) — A Lee County homeowner says his family has been unable to fully use their plumbing for weeks after he claims underground power line work near his home damaged his septic system, an issue now at the center of a small claims case and a dispute over responsibility.

Gary Roe said Georgia Power came to his home in early March, installed a generator and determined that new underground power lines were needed. Roe said a contractor hired through Georgia Power later performed underground work at the property. He said his family began having plumbing problems within days, and an externally-sourced plumber discovered an electrical line running through the septic tank and drain line.

Roe said he contacted Georgia Power and was told that this is his responsibility.

Georgia Power provided WALB with a statement:

“It is generally the homeowner’s responsibility to mark private lines, such as sewer and underground fencing, etc. That information is usually contained in blueprints for the house that utilities don’t have access to. As such, we are not responsible for locating sewage lines on private property on our own. Prior to our contractor beginning work, they asked the homeowner to have his private lines marked, and the homeowner refused. Despite that, our contractor tried to work with the homeowner to resolve the issue.”

Roe disputes that he was told to mark the septic system. He said he showed the contractor the area of the septic tank the day of repairs.

Following the statement, WALB asked Georgia Power whether there is documentation of the request. The company said it would look into it.

Roe said the situation has been stressful and has forced his family to rely on relatives for bathroom access at their homes.

“We don’t have access to our toilet,” Roe said. “Nothing can be flushed down it.”

Roe reached out to Page Septic Services Inc., a Leesburg septic company, for potential repairs. The company’s owner said they saw the damage to the septic tank.

“When we arrived on site, we saw that there was a four-inch hole on the left-hand side of the septic tank with the power line going through it,” Lacie Page said.

Page said there was another hole near the inlet side and that the power line also struck the sewer line going toward the house. She said a plumber made repairs so the home could function, but the power line still runs through the septic tank and sewer line.

“He can’t put any toilet paper down any of his drains because then it’s going to catch on that line and create another blockage,” she said.

Page said patching the tank was possible, but she said the company has concerns about long-term integrity. Page Septic Services, Inc. quoted Roe for $11,125.

“Whenever they do those bore machines to bore through the concrete, there’s a lot of vibration,” Page said. ”And we’re only concerned with it vibrating more cracks into the tank and making it prematurely fail.”

County requirements could also affect repair options. Page Septic Services would be required to replace the septic tank and the existing drain field to fulfill the county’s requirements, the company said.

Roe said his elderly mother-in-law had to be moved out of the home because of the plumbing issues. Roe said his entire family will be forced to temporarily move if the plumbing issues are not resolved soon.

Court documents show that Roe filed a statement of claim in the Magistrate Court of Brantley County on March 24 against the contractor, filed “Bradshaw Utilities” in Nahunta, Georgia. The documents describe “damage to property” with a claim amount totaling $11,235.

Roe said he wants help paying to fix the septic system and said he believes the damage was not present before the underground work. The small claims case has not been resolved. No court has determined liability.

Bradshaw Utilities declined to comment. WALB will update with Georgia Power’s response to the requests for documentation, if it becomes available.

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