Water damage help in Georgetown
Georgetown is the next town north of Lexington on I-75, but its water story is its own. The town has drawn from Royal Spring since 1775, and one utility, GMWSS, runs both water and sewer.
Referral service, not a contractor. Your request goes to an independent Lexington-area restoration company. We do not do the drying or repairs.
Royal Spring, in four dates
Georgetown Municipal Water and Sewer Service tells its own history on its home page. It explains why the town's water behaves the way karst water does.
Early settlers first tap the Big Spring, now known as Royal Spring.
The Georgetown Water Works Company is incorporated to regulate and treat the water.
The City of Georgetown takes ownership and sets up the Municipal Water Works Plant.
Water and sewer are joined as Georgetown Municipal Water and Sewer Service.
GMWSS describes Royal Spring as "a unique underground aquifer fed by rainwater that begins near Lexington." Lexington's own Cane Run watershed page says the same from the other end: the 45.4 square mile watershed, spread across Fayette and Scott counties, is full of sinkholes, springs and caves, and its Royal Spring karst basin serves as Georgetown's water supply.
The utility also buys treated Kentucky River water from the Frankfort Plant Board, and occasionally from Kentucky American Water. Today it serves more than 15,500 customers through 420 miles of water mains, in Georgetown and parts of Stamping Ground, Sadieville, Midway and Lexington.
Karst ties Georgetown's ground to Lexington's. Rain that falls on north Lexington can turn up in Georgetown's spring. It also means the same basement problems: groundwater that rises quickly after a long rain, and low spots in sinkholes where water ponds. The Kentucky Geological Survey's atlas lists Georgetown among the cities partly or entirely underlain by karst; the karst guide explains what that means for a house.
In the April 2025 storms, NWS Louisville's rainfall table shows 8.15 inches at a CoCoRaHS station 7.2 miles east-northeast of Georgetown, and 8.01 inches 1 mile northwest of town.
Burst pipe or sewer backup in Georgetown
GMWSS publishes a water and sewer emergency page with a single number for everything: 502-863-7816. After hours, the prompts let you leave a message for the on-call team. Its advice, condensed:
Water problems
- For a burst pipe or major leak, find your home's main shutoff valve and turn it off.
- No water at all? Check with neighbors to see whether it is just your house or a wider outage.
- If the water is discolored or smells or tastes odd, do not drink it until the utility gives guidance.
Sewer problems
- Stop using sinks, toilets and drains, so the backup does not get worse.
- Ask neighbors whether they have it too. That tells you whether it is a local line or a mainline issue.
- If there is a strong sewer odor, ventilate and do not stay in the area long.
The utility handles the main. Inside the house, the cleanup is the homeowner's job, and that is where a restoration company comes in. See the sewer backup cleanup page for how that work is usually done.
How the referral works from Georgetown
Participating restoration companies list the ZIP codes they serve. Many Lexington-area companies cover Georgetown's 40324; some do not. On the form, give your ZIP. When a company that covers it is taking work, your request is passed on.
The rest is between you and the company: the inspection, the estimate, and whether to hire. Typical national price ranges are in the cost guide.
Georgetown questions
My water is cloudy after GMWSS fixed a break. Is that normal?
GMWSS says not to drink discolored or odd-smelling water until it gives further guidance, and to report it at 502-863-7816. It posts updates and advisories on its website and social media during a major water or sewer emergency.