One city, three counties, and why your address matters
Reynoldsburg has about 41,000 residents and sits in Franklin, Licking and Fairfield counties. Census boundaries show about 64 percent of the city in Franklin County, about 28 percent in Licking County and the rest in Fairfield County. The Licking part is not a sliver. Roughly 2.75 square miles of it lie inside Etna Township, with about 10,000 residents at the 2020 count.
That split decides who inspects your plumbing, which office hears about a leak and which agency licenses the work. US-40 runs through the city as Main Street and leads straight back to our Etna base, so the drive is easy, but the paperwork depends on the street. When you call, give us the full address first.
Your water comes from Columbus, and the hardness is printed
The city runs the distribution system but buys its water from the City of Columbus. The 2025 water quality report lists hardness by treatment plant: about 5.7 grains per gallon from the Hap Cremean plant, about 7.2 from the Parsons Avenue plant and about 7.3 from the Dublin Road plant. The report does not say which plant feeds which street.
For a softener decision, that range means moderately hard water in every case, and the exact number at your tap may differ. Run a hardness test before you buy equipment. Our water softener and filtration page explains what to test and what to skip, and sodium in the Parsons Avenue water is worth knowing if you are on a low-sodium diet.
Pipe split or sewer backing up in Reynoldsburg? Who to call first
Our line is staffed at every hour, so dial while you work through the steps below. Reynoldsburg adds one wrinkle: the city owns the main and the first stretch of service line, so cause matters before cost.
The city says it is responsible for the main and for the line from the curb box to the main. You are responsible from the curb box to the house. For a suspected sewer backup, the city asks residents to call it first so it can check the main.
Close the main valve
Turn the shutoff clockwise where the line enters the house. If water is running in the yard before the meter, note where.
Stop the drains
No laundry, flushing or dishwasher while the lowest fixture is backing up.
Call the city if it may be the main
The city's water and wastewater office is 614-322-6811 on weekdays. For weekends and holidays the city lists 614-866-6622.
Then call us for the house side
If the water is inside, the house line is ours to fix. We tell you plainly if the cause looks like the city's main.
How old Reynoldsburg homes are, and what that does to the pipes
Rounded from Census housing estimates for the whole city.
| Era | Approx. homes | Typical calls | Related guide |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 or later | 3,660 | Tanks from the early builds, fixture and valve wear | Water heater replacement |
| 1980 to 1999 | 6,600 | Copper lines with tired joints, plus the odd run of early plastic pipe | Leak detection |
| 1960 to 1979 | 5,340 | Roots in sewer laterals, older drain pipe, slow main lines | Sewer inspection |
| Before 1960 | 2,390 | Cast iron and clay drains, rusting galvanized supply, seepage | Repiping |
Era only hints at materials, since many houses were updated. About 38 percent of occupied homes are rented, so a single call often involves a tenant and a landlord.
Blacklick Creek, Briarcliff and the August 2026 floods
The city's Upper Blacklick Creek watershed study found 72 structures in the modeled 100-year inundation limits, 52 of them in the Briarcliff neighborhood. The August 2026 storms brought a federal disaster declaration that includes Franklin and Licking counties. The city's own flood notes point to the Franklin County side, and only about 1 percent of the Licking part is in a mapped flood zone.
If you were flooded, keep records and call us for the plumbing side only. The city has warned of contractors who falsely claim FEMA or city affiliation, and we are neither. For a pit that keeps filling, see sump pump repair and basement waterproofing.
Water where it should not be in Reynoldsburg?
Pick up the phone. Someone is there at any hour to walk you through the first steps.
Permits: the city issues them, the county health department inspects
The city building division issues plumbing permits, but its page says Franklin County Public Health does the plumbing plan review and inspections citywide. Contractors who install plumbing in Franklin County must register annually with that department. The Licking County side is less clear on the city's pages.
That is a different path from the Licking County rules around our Etna base. We confirm which office handles your parcel before work starts, and we tell you if a permit applies. After the August floods, the city also waived permit review fees on some replacements for a time, so ask the building division whether that is still in effect.
Four parts of Reynoldsburg and what each tends to need
The same crew covers the whole city, but the calls differ by neighborhood.
Old Reynoldsburg and Main Street
US-40 follows the National Road through the historic core. Older drain lines are likeliest here, so a camera look is the first step.
Briarcliff and the Blacklick Creek corridor
The area west of the creek has the city's most documented flood exposure. Sump pumps, backflow and wet basements are the common calls.
The east side near Taylor Road and Summit Road
This is the Licking County part of the city, close to our base. The city announced a sanitary sewer expansion in the Summit area in 2025, so ask the city which sewer and water service reaches your street.
Rented homes across the city
About four in ten occupied homes citywide are rented, so we explain every cause and cost in terms that can go to a landlord or a tenant.
Have these ready when you dial
Short answers speed up the call.
- Your full street address, including which part of the city you are in.
- Whether water or sewage is coming from the yard, the street or inside the house.
- Where the curb box and the main shutoff are, if you know.
- The age of the house and the water heater, if you know them.
- Whether you own, rent or manage the property.
Neighbors have their own pages. Pataskala touches the city's east edge and Kirkersville lies farther east. Pickerington callers can ask us about coverage by phone, and the service areas page shows how it all fits together.
Frequently asked questions
Yes, at any hour and on holidays. Someone answers the phone, takes your full address and walks you through shutting things off. After that we find the earliest opening, which on some days is later the same day.
Nearly all of the city shares ZIP 43068, and that ZIP also reaches a little beyond the city line. Because Reynoldsburg spans three counties, the street address tells us more than the ZIP does, so give it on the call.
The city asks residents to call it first so it can check the main. If the main is clear, the blockage is on your side of the curb box and we clear it. If water is already inside, shut the main valve and call both.
The city's 2025 report lists hardness of about 5.7 to 7.3 grains per gallon, depending on which Columbus treatment plant feeds your street. That is moderately hard. Test your own tap before buying a softener, since the number at your house may differ.
The city says Franklin County Public Health does plumbing plan review and inspections citywide. Licking County's department covers plumbing elsewhere in that county. We confirm which applies to your parcel and tell you whether a permit is needed before work begins.
It can. The city's records place about a quarter of it in Licking County, much of it inside Etna Township. Permit and utility details may differ from the Franklin County side, so give us your address and we check before we plan the visit.