Griffin, GA · Spalding County
Griffin, Georgia sewer and septic service, for homes on the city's own sewer system, where the owner maintains the lateral, and for properties past the sewer service area.
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or call (678) 863-5620The short answer
Is Griffin, GA on sewer or septic, and who fixes the pipes?
Most of Griffin is on city sewer, treated at three city plants and an 800-acre land application site. City code makes the property owner responsible for keeping the service lateral watertight. Homes beyond the sewer service area use septic permitted by Spalding County Environmental Health. We repair laterals, septic tanks and fields across Griffin.↗↗
Reviewed by Atlanta Water & Sewage Solutions · Last updated
At a glance
The Griffin story
A railroad town with four places to send its sewage
Griffin dates to 1840 and got its rail station two years later, so it grew into a proper mill and market town long before most of its neighbors. Its wastewater system grew with it. The oldest plant still running, Cabin Creek on the north side, first went into service in 1936.↗↗
Today the city splits the work by geography. Cabin Creek handles north Griffin, Potato Creek handles the south side and its industrial park, and Shoal Creek teams up with the Blanton Mill spray fields to treat the west. That means a sewer backup on Taylor Street and one on the west side end up at different plants, but the pipe from the house to the street is the same story everywhere: it belongs to the owner.↗
Past the edge of that system the county takes over. Spalding's comprehensive plan describes rural areas west, northeast and southeast of the city that sit largely outside Griffin's sewer service area, where every house carries its own tank.↗
Who owns what
What Griffin's code says you own
City of Griffinmain
City↗
Where the line sits: Public sewer mains and the three treatment plants.
City of Griffinsewer tap
City approves in writing and inspects↗
Where the line sits: No connection may be covered until the director inspects and approves it.
Property ownersewer lateral
Owner↗
Where the line sits: The owner must keep the service lateral gastight and watertight and maintain any lift pump.
A lateral that leaks groundwater or rainwater into the system can draw an order to repair or replace it, a surcharge on the sewer bill, or even disconnection.↗
Local facts
Griffin's system in 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 |
|---|---|---|
| South side plant | Potato Creek, first built 1976; rebuilt and expanded to 3.0 MGD in 2016-2017 for $20 million | City of Griffin: Wastewater (treatment facilities) |
| Drinking water origin | Harry Simmons plant, 1929, fed by Flint River water pumped 12 miles; Heads Creek reservoir holds 621 million gallons | City of Griffin: Water (treatment plants and reservoirs) |
| Backwater valves | Required in all new construction; can be ordered in existing buildings after a backup | Griffin Code Sec. 94-39: Technical specifications for sewer connections (Municode) |
| Homes and tenants | Median home built 1976; 5,956 of 9,538 occupied homes are rented | Census Reporter: Griffin, GA (ACS 2024 5-year) |
| City founded | 1840, named for Col. Lewis Lawrence Griffin; rail arrived 1842 | Wikipedia: Griffin, Georgia |
| Population | 23,478 (2020 Census) | Wikipedia: Griffin, Georgia |
Sewer or septic?
Sewer in town, tanks at the edges
Griffin requires any building that can reach public sewer to be connected before it gets a certificate of occupancy. Where a lot cannot be served, the city will not issue a permit at all until the county board of health has approved a septic system.↗
The ring of suburban neighborhoods just outside the city limits is mostly inside the Griffin sewer service area, according to the county plan. The farther out you go toward Zebulon, Orchard Hill or the Henry line, the more likely the house is on a tank.↗
How to tell which one you have
- A Griffin utility bill with a sewer charge means you are connected.
- Unincorporated addresses may be Spalding County Water Authority customers who still get a bill printed by Griffin.
- No sewer line item and a lid in the yard means septic, permitted at 1007 Memorial Drive.
More about Griffin
Old pipe under a young-looking town
The median Griffin house dates to 1976, but the grid near the Commercial Historic District is far older, and many of those blocks have laterals that have been patched more than once. More than six in ten households rent, which puts landlords on the hook for most of the repairs, since the code assigns the lateral to the owner and not to the tenant.↗↗
The west side has had its own trouble. An EF3 tornado tore through that part of the city in January 2023, and uprooted trees are a classic way for a buried line to crack or pull apart at a joint.↗
- Griffin's code bars downspouts, foundation drains and yard drains from being tied into the building sewer or lateral.↗
The median Griffin house dates to 1976, but the grid near the Commercial Historic District is far older, and many of those blocks have laterals that have been patched more than once.
Services here
Griffin work we take on
- 01Sewer Line RepairCracked, rooted or leaking laterals the city expects owners to fix.Sewer Line Repair details
- 02Septic RepairTanks and fields on lots outside the sewer service area.Septic Repair details
Also available:Sewer Line Installation & ReplacementCamera InspectionSeptic PumpingEmergency Septic & Sewer Service
On the map
From Oxford to Griffin
About 74 min / 46.3 mi by road from our Oxford shop
South and west from Newton County through Henry into Spalding.
Route sourceFAQ
Griffin sewer and septic questions
Straight answers, with the rule or record behind them. Still unsure? Call and ask the crew that digs.
(678) 863-5620Who is responsible for the sewer line from my Griffin house to the street?
You are. Griffin's code says it is the property owner's duty to keep the service lateral in proper working condition, gastight and watertight. The city owns the public mains and its plants. If your lateral lets in groundwater, the city can order it repaired.
Source: Griffin Code Sec. 94-39: Technical specifications for sewer connections (Municode)
Do I need a backwater valve in Griffin?
New construction in Griffin must include one. For an existing home, the utilities director can require one by written notice after a backup, and the city does not accept responsibility for backup damage where a required valve is missing.
Source: Griffin Code Sec. 94-39: Technical specifications for sewer connections (Municode)
Which plant treats my Griffin sewage?
It depends on your side of town. Cabin Creek serves north Griffin, Potato Creek the south side, and Shoal Creek with the Blanton Mill land application site the west. All three are city-owned.
Can I repair my septic tank if sewer is nearby?
Not inside Griffin once public sewer is accessible. The city code says a failed septic system then must be abandoned and the building connected, and no permit will be issued to bring the old system back into compliance.
Source: Griffin Code Sec. 94-37: Connection required upon septic failure (Municode)
Where do Griffin-area septic permits come from?
Spalding County Environmental Health, part of District 4 Public Health, at 1007 Memorial Drive in Griffin. The phone is (770) 467-4230, and the office closes from noon to 1 for lunch.
Source: District 4 Public Health: Spalding County Environmental Health
Why does my county water bill come from the City of Griffin?
The Spalding County Water Authority contracts with Griffin to handle its maintenance and billing, so an authority customer may get letters and bills from the city. Check the authority's service maps to see who serves your address.
How long does it take you to reach Griffin?
About 74 minutes and 46.3 miles by road from our Oxford shop, based on routed driving directions. We schedule Griffin jobs and give free on-site estimates before any digging.
Nearby areas
Near Griffin
- Hampton septic & sewerHampton sewer & septic, just over the Henry County line.
- Zebulon septic & sewerZebulon sewer & septic, the Pike County seat to the west.
- Locust Grove septic & sewerLocust Grove sewer & septic along I-75.
- Barnesville septic & sewerBarnesville sewer & septic, south on US 41.
- Jenkinsburg septic & sewerJenkinsburg septic service in north Butts.
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
- 1City of Griffin: Wastewater (treatment facilities)
- 2Griffin Code Sec. 94-39: Technical specifications for sewer connections (Municode)
- 3Wikipedia: Griffin, Georgia
- 4Spalding County 2042 Comprehensive Plan (adopted October 2022)
- 5City of Griffin: Water (treatment plants and reservoirs)
- 6Census Reporter: Griffin, GA (ACS 2024 5-year)
- 7Griffin Code Sec. 94-35: Connection to public water and wastewater required (Municode)
- 8Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 511-3-1 (On-Site Sewage Management Systems)
- 9Griffin Code Sec. 94-37: Connection required upon septic failure (Municode)
- 10District 4 Public Health: Spalding County Environmental Health
- 11Spalding County Water Authority: About Us
- 12OSRM routing: Oxford, GA shop to Griffin, GA
Ready when you are
Griffin lateral or Spalding tank? We handle both.
We find out which system your property has, show you what failed and give a free written estimate before we dig.
(678) 863-5620- Georgia DPH-certified installer & pumper
- Residential & commercial
- Oxford, GA
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or call (678) 863-5620