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HOMEOWNER GUIDE · SEPTIC VS SEWER · GEORGIA
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or call (678) 863-5620The short answer
Check the water bill first: Gwinnett says a $0.00 sewer charge very likely means septic, and DeKalb bills septic homes no sewer charge. County health records and tank lids in the yard confirm it. Under Georgia rule 511-3-1-.03, new buildings connect when sewer is within 200 feet, and failing systems connect when sewer is available.
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Gwinnett bill test | A $0.00 "Sewer Amount Charged" line very likely means septic | Gwinnett County DWR — Septic Tanks |
| DeKalb bill test | Septic customers pay no sewer charges, only the water portion | DeKalb County Watershed Management — Services & Billing |
| Gwinnett septic records | Kept for systems installed since 1959; GIS Data Browser may show a sketch and repair permits | Gwinnett County DWR — Septic Tanks |
| Share of Gwinnett residents on septic | About 30 percent, per Georgia DPH as cited by Gwinnett DWR | Gwinnett County DWR — Septic Tanks |
| State connection trigger | Public sewer within 200 ft of the property line or in an abutting right-of-way (511-3-1-.03(1)(a)) | Georgia DPH Rules Chapter 511-3-1 On-Site Sewage Management Systems (Jan 2016), 2016 |
| When a septic system fails | Immediate connection if sewer is available; a residential system under 2,000 gpd may be exempted if a compliant repair fits | Georgia DPH Rules Chapter 511-3-1 On-Site Sewage Management Systems (Jan 2016), 2016 |
| Abandoning the tank | Pumped by a certified pumper, then filled with sand, soil or rock, or removed (511-3-1-.17(5)) | Georgia DPH Rules Chapter 511-3-1 On-Site Sewage Management Systems (Jan 2016), 2016 |
Plain definitions
How the job runs
In Gwinnett, a zero on the "Sewer Amount Charged" line very likely means septic. DeKalb bills septic customers no sewer charge at all. A well-water home with no utility bill is almost certainly on septic too.
Environmental Health keeps septic permits and drawings. Gwinnett's records reach back to 1959 and can appear in the county GIS Data Browser; the county put them online in 2011.
Gwinnett County — Septic Tank Records Now Available Online (news release, June 14, 2011)
Look for round or square lids or risers out from the side of the house where the main plumbing exits, and for a long, level grassy area that could be a drain field.
UGA Cooperative Extension Bulletin 1421 — A Beginner's Guide to Septic Systems
Georgia's plumbing code has required a cleanout within 10 ft of the public right-of-way on building sewers since January 1, 2020, so a newer sewer line often shows a capped pipe near the front property line.
Your water and sewer provider can confirm whether an account includes sewer service and whether a main runs along your street.
Permits & the Georgia rules
A new building must connect when public sewer is within 200 ft of the property line or in an abutting right-of-way.↗
A working septic system is not forced to connect by the state rule alone; local codes decide whether and when notice is given.↗
A failed system must connect immediately if sewer is available. The exception: a residential system under 2,000 gallons per day may be repaired instead if a code-compliant repair fits the lot.↗
After connecting, the old tank is pumped by a certified pumper and filled or removed.↗
Georgia rule 511-3-1-.03(1)(a)
“…available within two hundred feet (200') of the property line…”
Georgia rule 511-3-1-.03(1)(a)
“If an existing on-site sewage system fails, immediate connection shall be made…”
Georgia rule 511-3-1-.17(5)
“…fill the empty tank with sand, soil, or rock…”
NCWSA's sewer-use rules let it require a septic property to connect within 30 days of notice once sewer is within 200 ft.↗
Covington's code allows 90 days after official notice to connect.↗
The general rule gives owners 24 months after notice when sewer is within 100 ft.↗
Inside a septic-to-sewer conversion tax district, owners are encouraged rather than required to connect right away unless health or water-quality conditions call for it; each lot's extension share is capped at $7,500.↗
Where sewer is available, Rockdale gives the owner of a failed private system 30 days after written notice to hook up.↗
City of Monroe
Owners abutting a city sewer within 200 ft connect at their own expense within 30 days of official notice.↗
Your options
OPTION 01
When it fits: Sewer is not available, or it is available but your working system is not under a connection notice.
OPTION 02
When it fits: Sewer is within reach and you are building new, under notice, or your system has failed.
HomeGuide's 2025 national range for converting septic to sewer is $3,000 to $15,000; utility fees are separate, such as NCWSA's $3,650 residential sewer fee plus $75 tap inspection.
The whole story
Sewer mains followed dense development, and a great deal of suburban east-metro housing went up on lots large enough for a tank and field. Gwinnett DWR cites Georgia DPH in saying the county has one of the heaviest concentrations of septic systems in the nation, with roughly 30 percent of residents using one (Gwinnett DWR).
That makes the question more common than people expect, especially at purchase time. Two houses on the same street can differ: one built after a main was extended, one built before and never tied in. DeKalb adopted a septic-to-sewer ordinance in 2017 because parts of the county still rely on older tanks that may eventually fail (DeKalb Code Div. 2.5).
If you are buying, ask for the bill history and the county septic file before closing. If you already own the house and nothing is written down, the county health department's records plus a probe for the tank lid will usually resolve it in one visit.
FAQ
Straight answers, with the rule or record behind them. Still unsure? Call and ask the crew that digs.
(678) 863-5620Look for a sewer line item. Gwinnett County DWR says a bill showing $0.00 for "Sewer Amount Charged" means the property is very likely on septic. DeKalb Watershed Management charges septic customers only for water. If your bill lists a sewer charge with a real amount, you are almost certainly connected to public sewer.
Start with the county Environmental Health office, which issues septic permits. In Gwinnett, records go back to systems installed in 1959, and the county GIS Data Browser may show a septic sketch and past repair permits. DeKalb Public Health, GNR Public Health and Northeast Health District handle records for their own counties.
Georgia's rule requires a new building to connect when public sewer is within 200 feet of the property line or in an abutting right-of-way. For an existing working septic system, local utilities decide whether to issue a connection notice. NCWSA and Monroe can require connection within 30 days of notice, and Covington allows 90 days.
Source: Georgia DPH Rules Chapter 511-3-1 On-Site Sewage Management Systems (Jan 2016)
Under Georgia rule 511-3-1-.03(1), a failing system must connect immediately if public sewer is available. The rule allows an exception for a residential system under 2,000 gallons per day when a repair meeting code can be made on the lot. Rockdale County requires a failed system to connect within 30 days of written notice.
Source: Georgia DPH Rules Chapter 511-3-1 On-Site Sewage Management Systems (Jan 2016)
Georgia rule 511-3-1-.17(5) requires the abandoned tank to be pumped by a certified pumper and then filled with sand, soil or rock, or removed, so no one can fall into it. Gwinnett's conversion procedure adds an inspection after the tank is cleaned out and crushed or filled with concrete or gravel.
Source: Residential Septic to Sewer Procedure for Unincorporated Gwinnett County
HomeGuide's 2025 national range for a septic-to-sewer conversion is $3,000 to $15,000 for the work itself. Utility fees come on top: NCWSA's residential sewer fee is $3,650 plus a $75 tap inspection, and Gwinnett lists a $4,172 system development charge for a residential conversion on a 3/4-inch meter.
Source: HomeGuide — Sewer Line Installation Cost (updated December 2025)
Often. Follow the main plumbing exit from the house and probe the lawn a short distance out for a lid or riser, since the building sewer runs from there to the tank. A camera pushed from an indoor cleanout with a locator can also trace the line to the tank.
Source: UGA Cooperative Extension Bulletin 1421 — A Beginner's Guide to Septic Systems
DeKalb's general code gives owners 24 months after notice to connect when sewer is within 100 feet. Inside a special septic-to-sewer conversion tax district, owners are encouraged but not required to connect right away unless health or water-quality conditions call for it, and each lot's share of the line extension is capped at $7,500.
Source: DeKalb County Code Ch. 25, Art. IV, Div. 2.5 — Special Septic Tank to Sewer Conversion Tax District
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
Your water bill, the county health office and a walk around the yard will usually settle the first question in an afternoon. The second depends on a state rule about distance and on your local utility's deadlines.
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