Drain Field Repair & Replacement · Between, GA
Drain field repair in Between, Georgia, where many fields were permitted before Walton County's 2004 lot-size ordinance and sit in slow-draining Cecil soil.
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- Residential & commercial
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or call (678) 863-5620The short answer
How does drain field repair work in Between, GA?
Between has no sewer, so a failing field gets repaired or rebuilt, never abandoned. Walton County permits the work: $200 for a residential repair, and new trench counts as an addition needing a Level III soil report. Many fields here predate the county's 2004 lot-size ordinance, which governs where replacement trench can go.↗↗↗↗
Reviewed by Atlanta Water & Sewage Solutions · Last updated
The Between story
Built in 1998, judged by 2004 rules
The median Between home was built in 1998. Walton's Board of Health adopted its minimum lot-size ordinance on August 18, 2004, so a typical house here got its field approved under earlier standards. The ordinance bites hardest at the moment a field fails and needs new ground: the 2004 rules then decide what that ground has to be.↗↗
That is why we measure before we dig. The ordinance counts only usable soil and drops everything within 50 feet of a stream. Around Between that means Bay Creek, Beaverdam Creek, Big Flat Creek and their branches, and a lot that looked roomy in 1998 can come up short once those buffers and the house footprint are subtracted.↗↗
On the record
- Walton County's minimum lot-size ordinance for on-site sewage took effect August 18, 2004, after the median Between home was built (1998).↗
Soil & terrain
Why Between fields slow down
Survey points a mile and a half north and south of town center land on the same unit as the middle of town: eroded Cecil coarse sandy loam on 2 to 6 percent slopes. It's a forgiving surface over a slow subsoil, and the USDA rating names slow water movement as the limiting factor.↗
In ground like that, a field usually fails at the trench floor. NC State Extension describes the biomat that forms in the first few inches under each trench; feed it tank solids for years and it seals. The sand on top stays dry while the lines below fill.↗
Cecil coarse sandy loam, 2–6% slopes, eroded (CdB2)↗
Found at the center and at points about 1.5 miles north and south; 22,745 acres county-wide.
- Soil series · USDA NRCS
Local facts
Between field repair, by the numbers
Each row links to the agency, code or publisher it comes from. Tap a source to check it yourself.
| Topic | What it says | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Same CdB2 soil 1.5 mi north and south of center | Rated somewhat limited | USDA NRCS Soil Data Access — GA297 (Walton County) map units and cointerp |
| Cecil slow-water-movement score | 0.498 of 1.0 on every major Cecil unit | USDA NRCS Soil Data Access — GA297 (Walton County) map units and cointerp |
| Residential repair permit | $200 | Walton County EH Fees (effective August 1, 2024) |
| Commercial repair permit | $365 | Walton County EH Fees (effective August 1, 2024) |
Warning signs
Signs the trenches, not the tank, are failing
Seeing two or more of these? Call before it gets worse.
- 1. Water pools over one trench line after a normal week
- 2. Slow drains return within weeks of a pump-out
- 3. Spongy ground at the downhill end of the field
- 4. A sulfur smell in the back yard on still evenings
- 5. Tire ruts from a pool or fence crew crossing the lines
More about Between
The three ways we fix a Between field
Restore: if the soil beside the trenches is healthy, we pump the tank, clean or jet the lines, fix a tilted distribution box and let the biomat recover. It is the least disruptive option and worth trying first. If the lines refill within a few weeks, the soil itself has sealed and cleaning alone won't hold.↗
Extend: added trench is an addition in Walton's eyes, so a Level III soil report and a $200 final inspection come with it. Replace or relocate: the new field has to meet the 2004 ordinance, sit in usable soil and keep its creek buffer.↗↗
Restore: if the soil beside the trenches is healthy, we pump the tank, clean or jet the lines, fix a tilted distribution box and let the biomat recover.
What it costs
Field repair price ranges
Drain field repairs
$2,000–$15,000
Typical market range — Angi — Cost to Replace Septic Tank and Drain Field (updated Jul 8, 2026), 2026
Replacing leach lines
$20–$45 per linear foot
Typical market range — HomeGuide — How Much Does a Leach or Drain Field Replacement Cost? (2026), 2026
Chamber-system line cleaning
$400–$1,300
Typical market range — Angi — How Much Does It Cost to Clean Septic Field Lines? (updated Jul 9, 2026), 2026
Perc testing
$600–$2,000
Typical market range — HomeGuide — How Much Does a Leach or Drain Field Replacement Cost? (2026), 2026
What moves the price
These are third-party typical market ranges, not our prices. Every job is quoted after we see it — estimates are free.
Free estimate: (678) 863-5620- 01Whether the lot still has usable soil outside the creek buffers
- 02Chamber versus gravel trenches in the existing field
- 03Soil report and inspection when trench is added
More about Between
Commercial fields near US-78
DPH-certified installer
Atlanta Water & Sewage Solutions, Inc. is listed under Walton County on Georgia DPH's certified septic tank installers roster dated 9/18/2026.
FAQ
Between drain field FAQ
Straight answers, with the rule or record behind them. Still unsure? Call and ask the crew that digs.
(678) 863-5620My field was approved in the 1990s. Do today's rules apply?
To new or relocated trench, yes. The lot-size ordinance took effect in August 2004 and governs usable soil for the new area.
Source: Walton County Board of Health — Minimum Lot Size Ordinance
Can I tie into sewer instead of fixing the field?
Not in Between. The town plan says no sewer exists or is planned.
Do I need a permit just to clean the lines?
Repairs to a system require a permit and inspection in Walton; we confirm the scope with the county before work.
When is a Level III soil report required?
Whenever the job adds to the system, such as new trench.
Source: Walton County Environmental Health — Service Request Form
How close to the creek can the field go?
Land within 50 feet of a stream, lake or wetland is excluded from usable soil.
Source: Walton County Board of Health — Minimum Lot Size Ordinance
Who inspects the new trenches?
A Walton County Environmental Health Specialist checks the work before it is backfilled.
What does a replacement cost?
Angi's 2026 range for drain field repairs runs $2,000 to $15,000; the soil and layout set where yours falls.
Source: Angi — Cost to Replace Septic Tank and Drain Field (updated Jul 8, 2026)
Nearby areas
Drain field repair near Between
Sources
Where these facts come from
Rules, costs and local facts on this page link to the agency, code or publisher that states them. Cost figures are third-party market ranges, not our prices — estimates are free.
Reviewed by Atlanta Water & Sewage Solutions · Last updated
- 1Between Comprehensive Plan 2022-2026 (Georgia DCA)
- 2Walton County EH Fees (effective August 1, 2024)
- 3Walton County Environmental Health — Service Request Form
- 4Walton County Board of Health — Minimum Lot Size Ordinance
- 5Census Reporter API - Between, GA (ACS 2024 5-year)
- 6USGS National Hydrography Dataset — named flowlines near Between, GA
- 7USDA NRCS Soil Data Access — GA297 (Walton County) map units and cointerp
- 8NC State Extension — Septic Systems and Their Maintenance
- 9Angi — How Much Does It Cost to Clean Septic Field Lines? (updated Jul 9, 2026)
- 10Angi — Cost to Replace Septic Tank and Drain Field (updated Jul 8, 2026)
- 11HomeGuide — How Much Does a Leach or Drain Field Replacement Cost? (2026)
- 12Georgia DPH — Certified Septic Tank Installers list (9/18/2026)
- 13Northeast Health District — Sewage/Septic Systems
Ready when you are
Soggy back yard in Between? Find out if the field can be saved.
Call with the address and when it started. We'll open a trench, check the soil and map what the lot allows.
(678) 863-5620- Georgia DPH-certified installer & pumper
- Residential & commercial
- Oxford, GA
Free estimate
or call (678) 863-5620