Columbus is the Polk County seat, a town of about 1,060 people centered on the historic Polk County Courthouse. U.S. 74 crosses the north side of town and I-26 the east side, which puts Columbus within easy reach of Tryon, Mill Spring and the South Carolina line.
The Town of Columbus runs its own water and sewer and bills both from Town Hall on Walker Street. Its water system is tied in with Tryon's and with the Polk County system, and the town has spent years upgrading its wastewater plant, storage and lines. In Columbus the gas utility is Enbridge Gas North Carolina (the old PSNC, later Dominion Energy North Carolina).
Polk County Building Inspections is also on Walker Street, and it issues the building and trade permits after the town's zoning permit. Gas Guys holds North Carolina license #L39015 and serves Columbus from its base in Spartanburg County, SC.
Columbus at a glance
- Natural gas
- Enbridge Gas North Carolina. The state utility map shows Enbridge Gas North Carolina service in Columbus; homes outside town past its mains use propane.
- Water
- Town of Columbus
- Sewer
- Town of Columbus
- Permits
- Polk County Building Inspections (Town of Columbus zoning permit first)
- Housing
- Older homes near the courthouse square, mid-century houses, and newer subdivisions and rural homes outside town.
Plumbing and gas in Columbus: what to know
Adding gas appliances
Where Enbridge has a main, adding a gas range, dryer, gas logs or an outdoor grill line is straightforward if the existing pipe has capacity. Each appliance is added to a total that the pipe from the meter has to carry. If the existing line is too small, it is better to find out before the new range is delivered.
Town water and your service line
The Town of Columbus is responsible for the main and the meter. The line from the meter to the house is the owner's. Older homes may still have galvanized steel or early plastic service lines, and a meter that keeps turning with every fixture off is the clearest sign of a leak between the meter and the house.
Water heaters and expansion
If the town or a previous owner installed a check valve or pressure-reducing valve at the meter, the house becomes a closed system, and water expanding in the heater has nowhere to go. That is what an expansion tank is for. A relief valve that drips after every heating cycle is the usual clue that one is missing or has failed.
Sewer laterals in older homes
Near the courthouse square, many homes still drain through clay tile or cast iron laterals out to the town's main. Roots work into clay joints, and cast iron scales and cracks from the inside. If the lowest drain in the house backs up first, or a toilet gurgles when the washer drains, the lateral is the likely problem, and a camera inspection shows where.