Serving metro Atlanta from Oxford, GA
Georgia DPH-certified septic installer & pumper24/7 Emergency? (678) 863-5620
COMMERCIAL SEWER · SEPTIC · WATER LINES · METRO ATLANTA
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or call (678) 863-5620The short answer
Commercial septic service in metro Atlanta means permitted, inspected repairs on systems sized for a business's peak flow, planned to keep closures short. Georgia Rule 511-3-1 requires pretreatment for high-strength waste and engineer-sealed plans above 2,000 gallons per day. Atlanta Water & Sewage Solutions, a DPH-certified installer and pumper in Oxford, GA, handles the permit.
Reviewed by Atlanta Water & Sewage Solutions · Last updated
Who does the work
One crew, the whole line
Key facts
Each row links to the agency, code or publisher it comes from. Tap a source to check it yourself.
| Topic | What it says | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Who must have a system | Any building designed for human occupancy or congregation without public sewer, sized for everyone who uses it for two hours or more (Rule 511-3-1-.03(1)). | Georgia DPH Rules Chapter 511-3-1, On-Site Sewage Management Systems (Jan 2016), 2016 |
| Engineer threshold | Plans for a system producing more than 2,000 gallons per day must carry a Georgia-licensed engineer's registration number and signature (Rule .03(6)). | Georgia DPH Rules Chapter 511-3-1, On-Site Sewage Management Systems (Jan 2016), 2016 |
| High-strength waste | BOD5 and TSS above 200 mg/L must be pretreated to 200 mg/L or below before a conventional or chamber system (Rule .03(1)(c)). | Georgia DPH Rules Chapter 511-3-1, On-Site Sewage Management Systems (Jan 2016), 2016 |
| Grease trap trigger | Required for commercial or industrial establishments on septic when the county expects grease above 50 mg/l (Rule .12). | Georgia DPH Rules Chapter 511-3-1, On-Site Sewage Management Systems (Jan 2016), 2016 |
| Conventional tank size range | No less than 1,000 and no more than 10,000 gallons of septic tank design capacity (Rule .03(5)). | Georgia DPH Rules Chapter 511-3-1, On-Site Sewage Management Systems (Jan 2016), 2016 |
| Commercial permit fee — Newton (GNR) | Site Evaluation, Permit, and Initial Inspection — Commercial: $600 (effective Jan 1, 2026). | GNR Environmental Health Fee Schedule — Newton County (effective Jan 1, 2026), 2026 |
| Commercial permit fee — DeKalb | Commercial installation permit: $400 under 2,000 GPD, $600 over 2,000 GPD (effective Jan 1, 2024). | DeKalb Public Health Environmental Health Division Fee Schedule (effective January 1, 2024), 2024 |
| Our certifications | Listed by Georgia DPH as a Certified Septic Tank Installer and an Approved Septic Tank Pumper (lists dated 9/18/2026). | Georgia DPH Certified Septic Tank Installers list (9/18/2026), 2026 |
Plain definitions
Start here
DPH's flow schedule assigns 50 gallons per day per seat to a restaurant open less than 24 hours and 75 per seat to one open 24 hours, so an 80-seat dining room is sized at 4,000 gpd on paper — past the 2,000 gpd engineer line. The schedule flags food service for pretreatment when BOD5 and TSS run above 200 mg/L, and the sewer utilities around here have their own grease rules. See our page on grease trap sewer lines.
Restaurant sewer lines and greaseThe schedule counts sanctuary seats: 5 gpd per seat without a kitchen, 7 with one. A 300-seat sanctuary with a fellowship-hall kitchen works out to 2,100 gpd, just over the line where Rule .03(6) calls for engineer-sealed plans. Sunday peaks, not weekday averages, set the size.
Day schools run 12 gpd per person with toilets only, 16 with a cafeteria and 20 with a cafeteria and gym. Daycares are 15 per person without meals and 20 with them. Gwinnett's FOG ordinance also reaches daycares and schools with commercial kitchens.
Commercial septic repairOffice and shop workers are figured at 25 gpd each without showers, plus 5 with a kitchen. Freestanding retail and convenience stores use the larger of 400 gpd per restroom or 100 per toilet or urinal, and shopping centers 100 gpd per 1,000 ft² of enclosed space.
Commercial sewer repairWorkers with showers and no industrial waste are figured at 35 gpd each. Process water is a different animal: any facility whose waste stream runs above 200 mg/L BOD5 and TSS must pretreat it before a conventional or chamber system. Wash bays and shop floor drains are exactly where that question comes up.
DPH's design basis for a central septic tank serving multi-family housing is 1,000 gallons per unit, with the absorption field sized on bedrooms. On sewer, each building or unit's private lateral usually belongs to the owner or association up to the point the utility's rules take over.
Commercial water linesStart here
Broken or bellied building sewers, root intrusion and offset joints under parking lots and drive-throughs — located, excavated, repaired and inspected.
Commercial sewer line repairFailing tanks, distribution boxes, pumps and drain fields on churches, schools, shops and rural businesses, with the county repair permit handled for you.
Commercial septic system repairNew systems for business lots off the sewer main, sized from the state flow schedule, permitted with Environmental Health and built to the approved design.
Commercial septic system installationThe lines into and out of a grease interceptor, FOG-choked laterals and the local grease ordinances that decide what gets installed where.
Grease trap sewer line repairService lines from the meter to the building, larger-diameter runs and the trenching under pavement that comes with them.
Commercial water line repairThe whole story
A house on septic sends out a fairly steady, fairly weak stream. A business does neither. A church fills on Sunday morning and sits nearly empty Tuesday. A daycare runs 50 hand-washes and a lunch rush before noon. A restaurant pushes hot, greasy dishwater through the line right when the dining room is busiest. Georgia's rules are written around that: Rule 511-3-1-.13 says design flow is figured on peak flow and not on long-term averages. A system sized for the average day is the one that surfaces in the lot on Easter Sunday.
Strength matters as much as volume. The DPH manual notes that commercial septic effluent, such as a restaurant's, can be much stronger than a home's and clog the gravel-and-sand interface of a drain field faster, which is why the manual tells designers to lower loading rates for it. That is the reason Rule .03(1)(c) exists: above 200 mg/L of BOD5 and TSS, the waste has to be pretreated before it goes into a conventional or chamber system. On a failing commercial field, the first question we ask is not how big the new field should be — it's what has been going into the old one.
The other difference is the ground on top. Commercial laterals and tanks sit under asphalt, concrete aprons, dumpster pads and drive-through lanes. Every foot of trench means saw-cutting, hauling spoil and patching paving, and it means traffic has to go somewhere while the trench is open. That is where one crew for the whole run earns its keep on a business lot: the same outfit that finds the break digs it, repairs the pipe, calls in the county or utility inspection and backfills and compacts — so you aren't coordinating a locator, an excavator, a pipe contractor and a paving sub around your opening hours.
How the job runs
We walk the lot, find the cleanouts, tank lids and the route of the building sewer, and ask the questions that set the size: seats, meals, classrooms, employees, hours. If the county Environmental Health office has the original permit on file, the as-built drawing saves digging in the wrong place.
Slow restrooms can be a crushed lateral, a grease plug, a failed pump or a saturated field. Where a camera inspection of the line makes sense, we'll set it up and tell you what it shows before anyone digs.
For on-site systems we file the county permit application with the flow data Rule .03(2) asks for — the number of persons served or other sewage flow data. Above 2,000 gallons per day, the plans must be sealed by a Georgia-licensed engineer. In Gwinnett, Newton and Rockdale, GNR requires a Level 3 soil report for all septic permits.
511-3-1-.03(2), .03(6)Georgia DPH Rules Chapter 511-3-1, On-Site Sewage Management Systems (Jan 2016)
We plan trench routes, parking closures and any water or restroom shutoff with you in advance and schedule around your business hours wherever the permit and inspection calendar allows. If the repair can be staged — the lateral one day, the reconnection the next — we'll lay that out.
Saw-cut and remove paving, dig to the pipe or tank, and do the work to the approved design: spot repair, full line replacement, tank or pump replacement, or new absorption field.
Georgia bars backfilling or using an on-site system until the county has made a final inspection and issued written approval (Rule .03(4)). Utilities inspect sewer connections their own way — Monroe, for example, inspects new grease interceptors before backfill.
511-3-1-.03(4)Georgia DPH Rules Chapter 511-3-1, On-Site Sewage Management Systems (Jan 2016)
Compacted backfill under paving, a clean site and the paperwork you need for your records. In the company's own words: "We stand behind everything we do."
Permits & the Georgia rules
Figure the design flow from Table 13.J of the DPH manual (seats, persons, rooms or floor area); facilities with several uses add the flows together, such as a grocery store with a food-service counter.↗
If the flow tops 2,000 gallons per day, have a Georgia-licensed engineer prepare and seal the plans, soil data and absorption test data.↗
Apply for the county construction or repair permit before any work starts; Georgia treats repairs, replacements and additions as permitted work, and permits run no more than 12 months.↗
Add pretreatment where the waste stream is high-strength, and a grease trap where the county expects grease above 50 mg/l; its effluent goes to the septic tank.↗
Call for the county inspection; nothing is backfilled or put in service until the final inspection and written approval.↗
If public sewer is available within 200 feet of the property line or in an abutting right-of-way, connection is required instead; a failing system must connect immediately where sewer is available.↗
Georgia rule 511-3-1-.03(1)
“sufficient for the number of persons normally expected to use or frequent the building, residence or other property for two hours or more”
Georgia rule 511-3-1-.03(1)(c)
“Any facility that produces a waste stream with BOD5 … and TSS … higher than 200 mg/L shall be required to pretreat the waste”
Georgia rule 511-3-1-.03(6)
“This information shall bear the registration number and signature of an engineer licensed in this State.”
Georgia rule 511-3-1-.13
“Calculations will be made on the basis of peak flow and not on long term averages.”
Newton, Gwinnett & Rockdale (GNR Public Health)
Site Evaluation, Permit, and Initial Inspection — Commercial is $600 in all three GNR fee schedules for 2026, and GNR requires a Level 3 soil report for all septic permits since February 7, 2022.↗
DeKalb Public Health charges $400 for commercial lot plan review and site approval, then $400 for a commercial installation permit under 2,000 GPD or $600 over 2,000 GPD.↗
Walton County (Northeast Health District)
Walton's 2024 schedule lists a $365 commercial repair permit and commercial septic inspections of $550 for 1–1,000 gpd and $850 for 1,001–2,000 gpd.↗
Who owns what
Newton County Water & Sewerage Authority
The owner maintains the private sewer service line from the connection at the public main to the building; the commercial sewer fee is calculated by NCWSA's Engineering Division.↗
Where the line sits: Connection to the public main (the tap)
City of Covington
Nonresidential and over-4-inch sewer taps are calculated by the City Engineer, with one residential ERU equal to 350 gallons per day.↗
Where the line sits: Property line / street sewer
City of Monroe
Commercial redevelopment sewer connection is charged per ERU at $2,220.41.↗
Where the line sits: Public sewer main
Gwinnett County DWR
The property owner owns the private lateral from the building plumbing to the connection with the county system in the right-of-way, including that connection.↗
Where the line sits: Right-of-way cleanout / sewer stub
Rockdale County
The county owns the service line from the main to the street right-of-way; the customer owns the line from there to the building and the cleanout at the right-of-way limit.↗
Where the line sits: Street right-of-way
Homes & businesses
Residential
Sized by bedrooms: 1,000 gallons for one to four, 250 more for each extra bedroom, 50% more with a garbage grinder. Flow is domestic strength, and the county can accept plans from anyone it judges knowledgeable.
Commercial
Sized by use — seats, meals, students, employees, restrooms — from the DPH flow schedule, on peak flow. High-strength waste needs pretreatment, kitchens on septic may need a grease trap, and anything over 2,000 gpd needs an engineer's seal.
What it costs
Sewer line replacement, Atlanta
$672–$2,308
per job (average $1,432)
Angi's Atlanta range is residential-scale; commercial runs under paving usually cost more.
Typical market range — Angi — How Much Does Sewer Line Replacement Cost in Atlanta, GA?, 2026
Sewer line replacement, per foot
$50–$250
per linear foot
Typical market range — HomeGuide — How Much Does Sewer Line Replacement Cost? (2026), 2026
Perc / soil testing
$700–$2,000
per test
Typical market range — Today's Homeowner — How Much Does Septic Tank Installation Cost? (updated April 11, 2025), 2025
Aerobic treatment system
$10,000–$20,000
installed
Residential figure; commercial ATUs are reviewed by Georgia EPD.
Typical market range — Today's Homeowner — How Much Does Septic Tank Installation Cost? (updated April 11, 2025), 2025
Grease interceptor installation, 750–1,500 gallons
$4,000–$8,500
per installation
Examples from a Tampa, FL utility FAQ, as compiled by Grease Trap Locator — not Georgia-specific.
Typical market range — Grease Trap Locator — Grease Trap Installation Cost (updated August 8, 2026), 2026
These are published third-party market ranges, not our prices. Every commercial job is different; we give free on-site estimates.
Free estimate: (678) 863-5620FAQ
Straight answers, with the rule or record behind them. Still unsure? Call and ask the crew that digs.
(678) 863-5620The DPH sewage flow schedule uses 5 gallons per day per sanctuary seat without a kitchen and 7 with one. A 300-seat church with a kitchen works out to 2,100 gallons per day, which is over the 2,000 gpd point where Georgia requires engineer-sealed plans. The county sizes it on peak Sunday use, not the weekly average.
When the proposed system will produce more than 2,000 gallons per day, Rule 511-3-1-.03(6) requires the plans, specifications, soil data and absorption test data to carry the registration number and signature of a Georgia-licensed engineer. At or below 2,000 gpd, the county may accept plans from anyone it judges knowledgeable.
Source: Georgia DPH Rules Chapter 511-3-1, On-Site Sewage Management Systems (Jan 2016)
If your waste stream runs higher than 200 mg/L of BOD5 and TSS, Georgia Rule 511-3-1-.03(1)(c) requires pretreatment to bring it to 200 mg/L or below before it goes into a conventional or chamber system. The DPH manual flags food service, grocery, institutions, some retail and schools with cafeterias as operations where this applies.
Often partly. We plan the trench route, parking closures and any restroom or water shutoff with you ahead of time and schedule around your hours wherever the permit and inspection calendar allows. Some work, like a tank replacement, needs the system out of service until the county's final inspection. Call (678) 863-5620 and we'll talk it through.
GNR Public Health's 2026 schedules list Site Evaluation, Permit, and Initial Inspection — Commercial at $600 in Newton, Gwinnett and Rockdale. The Level 3 soil report GNR requires is paid separately to a private soil classifier. DeKalb and Walton charge differently; see the county notes above.
Source: GNR Environmental Health Fee Schedule — Newton County (effective Jan 1, 2026)
Under Rule 511-3-1-.03(1)(a), connection is required if public sewer is within 200 feet of your property line or in an abutting right-of-way, and a failing system must connect immediately if sewer is available. Local utilities add their own notice periods — Covington, for example, gives 90 days after official notice.
Source: Georgia DPH Rules Chapter 511-3-1, On-Site Sewage Management Systems (Jan 2016)
Rule 511-3-1-.12 requires one for commercial or industrial establishments on septic when the county board of health determines grease may exceed 50 mg/l, which covers most commercial kitchens. The grease trap's effluent must go to a septic tank, never straight to the drain field. The DPH manual gives a 125-gallon minimum size.
Source: Georgia DPH Rules Chapter 511-3-1, On-Site Sewage Management Systems (Jan 2016)
Usually the property owner, up to a point the utility sets. NCWSA puts the owner's line at the connection with the public main; Rockdale and DeKalb split it at the right-of-way. For a strip center or HOA, the lease or covenants decide who pays among owners and tenants.
Atlanta Water & Sewage Solutions appears on Georgia DPH's Certified Septic Tank Installer and Approved Septic Tank Pumper lists dated 9/18/2026, and has been a Georgia corporation since 2004. The installer certification is what lets a contractor install and repair on-site systems under Rule 511-3-1-.16.
Source: Georgia DPH Certified Septic Tank Installers list (9/18/2026)
Keep going
Sources
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
Ready when you are
Georgia sizes a business septic system by the people it serves and the peak flow they create, and every repair is permitted and inspected by the county. We plan the dig, the permit and the backfill so the parking lot, the kitchen and the restrooms are down for as short a stretch as the work allows.
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