Water Damage Restoration Memphis TN
Rain falling on the front lawn and driveway of a brick house on a quiet Memphis street, with water pooling along the curb

Who to Call First for Water Damage in Memphis, TN

901-544-6549 is MLGW Residential Customer Care, not an emergency line; the number for a burst pipe or water heater leak inside the home is 901-528-4465.

Who to Call First in Memphis

Memphis Water, Sewer and Storm Contacts by Problem

For a burst pipe or water heater leak inside your Memphis home that threatens to flood the building, call the Memphis Light, Gas and Water (MLGW) emergency hotline at 901-528-4465; MLGW says it will turn off the water supply. Sewer backups go to City Public Works at 901-636-6762 or Memphis 311 at 901-636-6500. Blocked storm drains go to Drain Maintenance at 901-357-0100.

ProblemWho handles itPhoneVerification
Burst pipe or water heater leak inside your homeMLGW emergency hotline901-528-4465Checked: September 2026
Billing and service connections (not an emergency line)MLGW Residential Customer Care, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.901-544-6549Checked: September 2026
Sewer backupCity of Memphis Public Works, weekdays 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.901-636-6762Checked: September 2026
Talk to a live agent about a city serviceMemphis 311901-636-6500Checked: September 2026
Clogged or blocked storm drainDrain Maintenance Service Office901-357-0100Checked: September 2026
Questions about river or creek floodplains and NFIP participationDivision of Engineering, Civil Design Bureau901-636-6700Checked: September 2026

The MLGW Emergency Line

MLGW treats a burst water pipe or water heater as an emergency when the leak is inside your home or business and poses a danger of flooding the building. The line for that report is 901-528-4465. MLGW says its employees answer that line around the clock, and that it will turn off the water supply to limit damage.

  • Use 901-528-4465 for a burst pipe or water heater leak inside the building, as described on the MLGW burst water pipes page.
  • MLGW lists the same line for gas leaks, downed electric wires, broken water mains inside a building and unsafe street barricades.
  • Use your home's main shut-off valve if you can reach it safely. Do not force a valve you cannot operate; seek qualified help.
  • MLGW describes the water service line as a shared responsibility between MLGW and the homeowner.

The number 901-544-6549 belongs to MLGW Residential Customer Care, which handles billing and connections from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. It is not a shutoff or emergency line. Do not wait on it while water is running inside the house.

Memphis, TN water damage restoration — The MLGW Emergency Line

Sewer Backups, Storm Drains and Street Flooding

A sewer backup is a City of Memphis Public Works matter. Public Works is responsible for the city's streets, sanitary sewers, storm drains, bridges and flood control. For sewer-backup reports, use Public Works at 901-636-6762 on weekdays or Memphis 311 at 901-636-6500, which reaches a live agent.

  • The city describes more than 3,000 miles of sewers and about 100 sewer lift stations under its care.
  • Clogged or blocked storm drains: the city asks residents to call the Drain Maintenance Service Office at 901-357-0100 or report the problem to 311. The city's drain maintenance page has the details.
  • A drain near a garage may be private. The city says a private drain is the property owner's responsibility to maintain.
  • Ask Public Works who is responsible for the pipe where your backup starts before you pay for repairs to it.

Sewage and floodwater can carry contamination. As general safety advice, keep children and pets out of the affected area and do not wade into the water or touch damaged electrical equipment. The Red Cross warns that floodwater may contain sewage.

Many standard homeowners policies exclude sewer or drain backup unless an endorsement adds it. Read your policy and ask your insurer before assuming it is covered.

Flood Zones and River Flooding

Memphis's regulatory floodplain comes from riverine flooding on Nonconnah Creek and the Wolf and Loosahatchie Rivers, plus backwater from the Mississippi River, according to the city's engineering division. Any development inside the regulatory floodplain needs a Floodplain Development Permit. Questions go to the Civil Design Bureau at 901-636-6700.

  • The city says flood events and elevated flood stages have historically occurred from November through May each year.
  • The city's flood control system includes about 20 miles of earthen levee, 2 miles of concrete floodwall with 30 gate closures, 643 acres of reservoir and 7 flood control pumping stations.
  • Memphis has taken part in the National Flood Insurance Program since December 1, 1982. The city's floodplain and NFIP page lists the Develop901 portal for permits.
  • In unincorporated Shelby County, the County Engineer takes flood map questions at 901-545-4320; in Bartlett, Collierville or Germantown, use that municipality's contacts. Permits & Codes is 901-222-8300.
  • You can look up flood maps on the FEMA flood maps page.

Standard homeowners and renters policies generally exclude flood. FEMA lists National Flood Insurance Program limits of up to $250,000 for the building and up to $100,000 for contents on one-to-four-unit homes, with a 30-day waiting period. Ask an agent about your address before a storm, not during one.

Memphis, TN water damage restoration — Flood Zones and River Flooding

Bartlett, Collierville, Germantown and Olive Branch

For municipal water or sewer problems in Bartlett, Collierville or Germantown, use that municipality's contacts, listed below. Those three cities are in Shelby County, Tennessee. Olive Branch is in DeSoto County, Mississippi, and Mississippi insurance and contractor rules apply there, not Tennessee's.

PlaceWater or sewer problemEmergency or after hoursVerification
Bartlett, TN901-385-5586, weekdays 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.Water or sewer emergency 901-385-5558Checked: September 2026
Collierville, TNPublic Services 901-457-2800After hours: police non-emergency line 901-853-3207Checked: September 2026
Germantown, TN901-757-7350, weekdays 7:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.After hours 901-757-7338Checked: September 2026
Olive Branch, MSPublic Works 662-893-5208After hours: police dispatch number 662-895-4111Checked: September 2026
  • Bartlett lists 901-385-5570 for general Public Works, not the water line.
  • Collierville's 901-457-2240 is utility billing, not a water emergency line.

Before You Call

Have the basics ready before you call: your address, what is leaking, where the water is going and whether anyone is in danger. Photos of the source and the wet areas help later with your insurer. Then decide who you need next.

  • Address and the room where water first appeared.
  • Whether the leak is inside the building, in the yard or in the street.
  • Your insurance policy number and the claims line on your policy.
  • Photos and short video of the source, standing water and damaged items, taken only where it is safe.
  • Read the Tennessee water damage insurance claim guide before you sign anything with a contractor or adjuster.
  • For what a wet ceiling or a burst pipe means for repairs, see the ceiling water damage guide and the burst pipe guide.
  • Once the water is stopped, the Memphis mold guide covers what federal agencies say about mold after water damage, and the cost guide explains how to think about pricing.

If you rent, tell your landlord in writing right away. A renters policy covers your belongings, not the building.

Memphis, TN water damage restoration — Before You Call

If That Did Not Work

If the first number does not solve the problem, you have three exits: call again, take another route to the same office or a different one, or contact the agency that oversees the party holding things up. This guide cannot predict how long any office will take to respond.

  • Try again: call the same number again and say plainly whether water is still running and whether the leak is inside the building.
  • Another route: for a city sewer or drain issue, switch between Public Works at 901-636-6762 and Memphis 311 at 901-636-6500. For a leak inside the home, MLGW's emergency hotline is 901-528-4465.
  • Who to contact: if your insurer is the obstacle, the Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance (TDCI) takes policy questions at 615-741-2218 or 800-342-4029. See its complaint page.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is 901-544-6549 the number to shut off my water?
No. MLGW lists 901-544-6549 as Residential Customer Care, open 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., for billing and service connections. For a burst pipe or water heater leak inside your home that threatens to flood the building, MLGW's emergency hotline is 901-528-4465, and MLGW says it will turn off the water supply.
Who do I call for a sewer backup in Memphis?
Call City of Memphis Public Works at 901-636-6762 on weekdays, or Memphis 311 at 901-636-6500 to speak with a live agent. Those are the city's listed contacts for sewer-backup reports. Ask which part of the line is yours before you pay for repairs.
Who handles a clogged storm drain on my street?
Residents may report clogged or blocked storm drains to the Drain Maintenance Service Office at 901-357-0100 or to Memphis 311. A drain by your own garage may be private, and the city says maintaining a private drain is the property owner's job.
Do these numbers work if I live in Bartlett, Collierville or Germantown?
Use the contacts for the municipality where the house sits, not the mailing address. For municipal water or sewer problems in Bartlett, Collierville or Germantown, use that municipality's contacts, listed in the suburb table above. Olive Branch is across the state line in Mississippi and has its own Public Works number.
Who answers questions about the floodplain around my house?
In Memphis, the Division of Engineering's Civil Design Bureau takes floodplain and National Flood Insurance Program questions at 901-636-6700. In unincorporated Shelby County, the County Engineer's office at 901-545-4320 advises on flood maps and map changes; Bartlett, Collierville and Germantown residents should use their own municipality. Flood questions are separate from water damage claims, which go through your insurer.
When should I call 911 instead?
Call 911 for an immediate danger to people, such as a gas smell, suspected electrocution or a ceiling in danger of collapse. The Red Cross advises leaving at once if you smell gas or hear hissing, and calling the fire department after you reach safety.

Water in your home right now?

See who to call first in Memphis, how to reach your water provider, and how to check your flood zone.

Who to Call First in Memphis
Call (901) 261-7414