Sewer Line Installation & Replacement · Covington, GA
New sewer line installation and septic-to-sewer connections in Covington, Georgia, built to the city's published sewer standards.
- Georgia DPH-certified installer & pumper
- Residential & commercial
- Local shop in Oxford, GA
Get a free estimate
or call (678) 863-5620The short answer
Sewer line installation in Covington, GA
In Covington, the owner pays to build the new sewer line from the house to the property line, then applies to the city for the connection out to the street sewer. Atlanta Water & Sewage Solutions lays that line at code fall, retires the old septic tank if there is one, and schedules the inspections. Call (678) 863-5620.↗
Reviewed by Atlanta Water & Sewage Solutions · Last updated
At a glance
Sewer or septic?
Do you have to hook up, or just get to?
State rules set the floor and the city sets the clock. Once Covington gives official notice to a lot beside a street sewer, the owner has 90 days to build out and apply. Under section 13.16.310, the city can condemn a building for occupancy if the owner never connects.↗↗
Past the city system, the county authority decides. NCWSA expects the new customer to pay for any extension, get an engineer's drawings approved and use a contractor it inspects.↗
How to tell which one you have
- A monthly sewer charge on your Covington utility bill means you already drain to a public main
- A buried concrete lid or a green, soggy stripe out back usually marks a tank and drain field
- A manhole in the street or an easement along your back line is the clue that a main is close
Local facts
What Covington's sewer standards say about a new service
Each row links to the agency, code or publisher it comes from. Tap a source to check it yourself.
| Topic | What it says | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum lateral size | 6 inches, laid at a minimum grade of 1% | City of Covington Water and Sewer Standards and Specifications (orig. May 2011, rev. April 2024) |
| Shared services | Not allowed: every existing or proposed lot or building gets its own sewer service | City of Covington Water and Sewer Standards and Specifications (orig. May 2011, rev. April 2024) |
| Cover at the right-of-way | 6 feet; where 6 feet can't be reached, the service must be ductile iron | City of Covington Water and Sewer Standards and Specifications (orig. May 2011, rev. April 2024) |
| Where the stub ends | 5 feet inside the property line, normally within 10 feet of the lot's lower corner | City of Covington Water and Sewer Standards and Specifications (orig. May 2011, rev. April 2024) |
| Who may tie in | No plumber or contractor connects except at the end of the service provided, with a permit issued | City of Covington Water and Sewer Standards and Specifications (orig. May 2011, rev. April 2024) |
Who owns what
Who builds which piece of a Covington connection
City of Covingtonsewer lateral
Owner pays to build it, house to property line↗
Where the line sits: Property line (§ 13.16.140)
City of Covingtonsewer tap
City makes the connection from the property line to the street sewer after the owner applies↗
Where the line sits: Street sewer
Newton County Water & Sewerage Authoritysewer tap
NCWSA inspects the tap but does not make it; the owner's contractor does↗
Where the line sits: Main, with a $75 tap inspection
On an NCWSA account the owner's upkeep also runs through the tap at the main, a policy in force since March 1, 2021. Build that joint right the first time.↗
The Covington story
A septic-to-sewer job in Covington, in order
First we find two things: where the building drain leaves the foundation and where the city left the stub. On a lot built before the main arrived, those points can sit on opposite sides of the house, which sets the trench route and most of the price.
Next come the tap application and the trench. We lay pipe at a steady fall, add cleanouts where the plumbing code wants them and keep the run clear of the driveway where we can. The city standard steers stubs and cleanouts away from driveways for the same reason.↗
Then the house drain is cut over to the new line ahead of the tank, and the old tank is retired. Georgia allows two ways to do that: a certified pumper empties it and it is filled with sand, soil or rock, or it is removed entirely.↗
First we find two things: where the building drain leaves the foundation and where the city left the stub.
What it costs
Pricing a new Covington sewer line
New sewer line, installed
$40–$180 per linear foot
Typical market range — HomeGuide — Sewer Line Installation Cost (updated December 2025), 2025
Septic tank to sewer conversion
$3,000–$15,000
Typical market range — HomeGuide — Sewer Line Installation Cost (updated December 2025), 2025
Covington sewer tap, 3/4-inch meter and service
$3,600
Typical market range — City of Covington — Tap Fees
Covington sewer tap, 1-inch meter and service
$6,520
Typical market range — City of Covington — Tap Fees
NCWSA residential sewer fee plus tap inspection
$3,650 + $75
Typical market range — NCWSA Water and Sewer Fees (sheet header: revised May 21, 2025, effective July 1, 2025), 2025
NCWSA estimate, building to nearest manhole
$50–$100 per foot
Typical market range — NCWSA — Connecting to Sanitary Sewer in Unincorporated Newton County (rev. 11/29/2018), 2018
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- 01Distance from the building drain to the stub, and whether the run has to wrap the foundation
- 02Depth: a stub set deep for 6 feet of cover at the street means a deeper trench on your side
- 03Driveways, walks and fences in the path, plus any mature trees we route around
- 04Whether an old tank is pumped and filled in place or dug out
Warning signs
When a new line beats another repair
Seeing two or more of these? Call before it gets worse.
- 1. A letter from the city says a sewer main now serves your street
- 2. The drain field keeps surfacing even after a pump-out, and a main runs past the lot
- 3. Camera footage shows the old lateral collapsed or sagging in more than one spot
- 4. You are adding a building, a bathroom wing or a second unit that needs its own service
More about Covington
Houses versus shops and new buildings
A single-family conversion is usually one 3/4-inch tap and one trench. Commercial work scales differently: Covington sizes nonresidential charges through the City Engineer using a residential equivalent of 350 gallons a day, so a restaurant or small plant gets a custom fee before we price the pipe.↗
Commercial sites also bring grease interceptors, deeper services and traffic control. We schedule those digs around trading hours.
A single-family conversion is usually one 3/4-inch tap and one trench.
FAQ
Covington sewer installation questions
Straight answers, with the rule or record behind them. Still unsure? Call and ask the crew that digs.
(678) 863-5620How long do I have to connect after Covington sends notice?
Ninety days. Section 13.16.140 covers property that abuts a street sewer within 200 feet, and the owner builds to the property line and applies for the connection within that window.
Source: Covington, GA Code of Ordinances § 13.16.140 (Municode)
What size pipe does Covington require for a new sewer service?
The city standard calls for at least a 6-inch service at a minimum 1% grade on the public portion.
Source: City of Covington Water and Sewer Standards and Specifications (orig. May 2011, rev. April 2024)
Can two houses share one sewer tap in Covington?
No. The standards require a separate sewer service for every existing or proposed lot or building, so a guest house or second dwelling needs its own.
Source: City of Covington Water and Sewer Standards and Specifications (orig. May 2011, rev. April 2024)
What does the Covington sewer tap cost for a house?
The city's fee page lists $3,600 for a sewer tap with a 3/4-inch meter and service and $6,520 for a 1-inch. The trench, pipe and tank abandonment are separate costs.
Source: City of Covington — Tap Fees
What happens to my old septic tank?
It has to be taken out of service. Georgia's rules allow pumping by a certified pumper and filling with sand, soil or rock, or removing the tank.
Source: Georgia DPH Rules Chapter 511-3-1 On-Site Sewage Management Systems (Jan 2016)
My address says Covington but my bill is from NCWSA. Who taps the main?
Not NCWSA. The authority charges a $75 tap inspection and states that it does not make sewer taps, so the contractor makes the connection and NCWSA inspects it.
Source: NCWSA Water and Sewer Fees (sheet header: revised May 21, 2025, effective July 1, 2025)
Can I skip sewer and just repair my failing septic system?
Sometimes. Georgia lets a failing residential system under 2,000 gallons a day stay on septic if a code-compliant repair fits the lot. Covington's own 90-day notice rule can still apply inside the city.
Source: Georgia DPH Rules Chapter 511-3-1 On-Site Sewage Management Systems (Jan 2016)
Nearby areas
Sewer line installation near Covington
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
- 1Covington, GA Code of Ordinances § 13.16.140 (Municode)
- 2Covington, GA Code of Ordinances § 13.16.310 (Municode)
- 3NCWSA — Connecting to Sanitary Sewer in Unincorporated Newton County (rev. 11/29/2018)
- 4Georgia DPH Rules Chapter 511-3-1 On-Site Sewage Management Systems (Jan 2016)
- 5City of Covington Water and Sewer Standards and Specifications (orig. May 2011, rev. April 2024)
- 6NCWSA Water and Sewer Fees (sheet header: revised May 21, 2025, effective July 1, 2025)
- 7NCWSA — Notice of Policy Change: Maintenance of Sewer Service Laterals (July 14, 2021)
- 8HomeGuide — Sewer Line Installation Cost (updated December 2025)
- 9City of Covington — Tap Fees
- 10Covington, GA Code of Ordinances § 13.16.040 (Municode)
Ready when you are
Got a sewer notice from the city? WE'LL MAP THE ROUTE BEFORE THE CLOCK RUNS.
Send us the notice or just the street address. We will find the stub, walk the trench route and give you a free on-site price for the whole conversion.
(678) 863-5620- Georgia DPH-certified installer & pumper
- Residential & commercial
- Oxford, GA
Free estimate
or call (678) 863-5620