SEWER GUIDE · OWNERSHIP & RESPONSIBILITY
Who is responsible for sewer line repair in metro Atlanta: homeowner or utility?
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or call (678) 863-5620The short answer
Who is responsible for sewer line repair: homeowner or utility?
In metro Atlanta the homeowner almost always owns the sewer lateral on private property, and the utility owns the public main. Where they meet varies: Gwinnett, Rockdale and DeKalb take over at the right-of-way or easement, while NCWSA in unincorporated Newton has made owners responsible through the tap at the main since 2021.
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Key facts
Ownership boundaries at a glance
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 County DWR | Owner maintains the lateral to the right-of-way; DWR clears blockages in the main and in the lateral inside the right-of-way | Gwinnett County — Sewer Service Lateral Repair/Cleaning Policy (homeowner handout) |
| Rockdale Water Resources | County keeps the line from the main to the street right-of-way; a customer-owned cleanout marks the limit | Rockdale County Code of Ordinances, Ch. 98, Art. I, Div. 1 (Municode) |
| DeKalb Watershed Management | Owner repairs the building sewer on private property; county maintains it in rights-of-way and sewer easements | DeKalb County Code Ch. 25, Art. IV, Div. 3 — Building Sewers and Connections (Secs. 25-215, 25-220) |
| NCWSA (unincorporated Newton) | Owner is responsible from the building through the tap at the main, since March 1, 2021 | NCWSA — Notice of Policy Change: Maintenance of Sewer Service Laterals (2021), 2021 |
| City of Covington | Customer keeps pipes clean to the city street line or the city main, whichever is nearer | Covington, GA Code of Ordinances § 13.16.070 (Municode) |
| City of Monroe | Owner bears all costs of the building sewer to the public sewer and maintains the connection | City of Monroe Code of Ordinances, Ch. 98, Art. IV (Secs. 98-142, 98-144) |
| Cleanout near the street | Required within 10 feet of the public right-of-way on building sewers since Jan. 1, 2020, per Georgia's plumbing code | Georgia State Minimum Standard Plumbing Code 2018 (IPC with Georgia amendments), Chapter 7 Sanitary Drainage — via UpCodes, 2018 |
Plain definitions
The pieces of pipe in question
- Building sewer (lateral)
- The pipe from the house's drain system out to the public sewer; the owner usually installs it and pays for it.↗
- Public main
- The utility's collection pipe, usually in the street or an easement, that serves many buildings and runs between manholes.↗
- Tap
- The point where a lateral joins the main; NCWSA's 2021 change moved clearing responsibility for it to the customer.↗
- Right-of-way
- The strip of public land along a road, often extending past the curb into what looks like your front yard.
- Sewer easement
- A recorded right for the utility to keep and reach its pipes across private land; DeKalb maintains laterals inside them.↗
Who owns what
Utility by utility: where your responsibility ends
Gwinnett County Department of Water Resources
The owner owns and maintains the private lateral from the house to the edge of the right-of-way; DWR handles blockages in the main and the right-of-way portion.↗
Where the line sits: Right-of-way edge
Rockdale Water Resources
The county maintains service lines from the main or manhole to the street right-of-way, and each line needs a customer-owned cleanout at that limit.↗
Where the line sits: Right-of-way cleanout
DeKalb County Department of Watershed Management
Owners maintain the building sewer on private property and pay for damage they cause to the public sewer; the county maintains the part in rights-of-way and easements.↗
Where the line sits: Property or easement line
Newton County Water & Sewerage Authority
Owners maintain the service line from the building to the public main, including the connection; NCWSA keeps the mains between manholes.↗
Where the line sits: Tap at the main
City of Covington
Each customer keeps the pipes clear from the house plumbing to the city street line or main, whichever is closer.↗
Where the line sits: Street line or main
City of Monroe
The owner pays to install and connect the building sewer and keeps the connection in repair; a city permit is needed to open any public sewer.↗
Where the line sits: Public sewer
How the job runs
What to do when the sewer backs up and you don't know whose it is
- 1
Open the outdoor cleanout
If the cleanout near the house or street is dry while fixtures back up, the clog is inside or near the house. If it's full, the blockage is farther out.
- 2
Call the utility first if the street cleanout is full
Utilities such as Gwinnett DWR clear blockages in their main and in the right-of-way portion of the lateral. Let them check their side before you hire anyone.
Gwinnett County — Sewer Service Lateral Repair/Cleaning Policy (homeowner handout)
- 3
Get a camera inspection of your side
Video shows where the defect sits and how far it is from the house, which settles which side of the boundary it's on. InterNACHI's scope standard covers what gets recorded.
- 4
Match the defect to the boundary
Compare the measured distance with your utility's line: right-of-way, easement, street line or the tap itself.
- 5
Permit and repair your portion
Repairs to the private lateral need the local permit; Angi reports a City of Atlanta sewer replacement permit at about $185 to over $400.
Angi — How Much Does Sewer Line Replacement Cost in Atlanta, GA? (updated April 2026)
The whole story
What changed in Newton County in 2021?
Before March 1, 2021, NCWSA maintained the part of a lateral between its main and the property or right-of-way line, much like Gwinnett and Rockdale still do. Its policy notice changed that: customers now pay to clear building-sewer blockages from the house all the way through the tap (NCWSA). NCWSA still clears clogs in the main itself.
In practice, a root mass or broken pipe just short of the main in the street can land on the homeowner in unincorporated Newton, where the same defect in Gwinnett would be the county's. Covington, inside Newton County, runs its own sewer and uses the street line or main instead.
Worth knowing
What about the City of Atlanta itself?
The City of Atlanta's Department of Watershed Management runs sewer inside the city limits. We didn't find a published lateral-ownership rule on its site that we could cite, so we won't state a boundary here. If you live in the city, call DWM and ask where its responsibility starts before you pay for any work near the street.
The broad pattern across metro utilities still holds as a starting assumption: the private lateral on your lot is yours, and the main is the utility's. What changes is the stretch in between, under the sidewalk and the street, and that's exactly where the expensive digging happens.
The City of Atlanta's Department of Watershed Management runs sewer inside the city limits.
Worth knowing
Does homeowners insurance cover a broken sewer lateral?
That depends on your policy and any endorsements, so read it or ask your agent before work begins. Utility rules only settle whether the utility pays, and for the private portion it won't. Keep the camera video, the measured location of the defect, and your utility's written ownership rule; an insurer or the utility will want all three.
FAQ
Sewer line responsibility questions
Straight answers, with the rule or record behind them. Still unsure? Call and ask the crew that digs.
(678) 863-5620Is the city responsible for my sewer line?
Usually only for part of it. Metro utilities maintain the public main and, in Gwinnett, Rockdale and DeKalb, the stretch of lateral inside the right-of-way or easement. The pipe on your lot is yours. In unincorporated Newton, NCWSA makes owners responsible all the way through the tap at the main.
Who pays if the sewer line breaks under the street?
In Gwinnett, Rockdale and DeKalb, the utility generally handles the portion inside the right-of-way or easement. Under NCWSA's 2021 policy, owners in unincorporated Newton pay to clear blockages through the tap even when it's under the road. Covington draws its line at the street line or main, whichever is nearer.
Source: NCWSA — Notice of Policy Change: Maintenance of Sewer Service Laterals (2021)
How do I find where my sewer lateral connects to the main?
Look for a cleanout near the front property line; Georgia's plumbing code has required one within 10 feet of the public right-of-way on building sewers since 2020. Older lines may lack one. A camera inspection with a locator traces the pipe's route and depth to the main.
Does DeKalb County fix sewer laterals?
Only the portion inside county rights-of-way and sanitary sewer easements. DeKalb's code makes owners maintain and repair the building sewer on private property, and owners pay for damage their work causes to the public sewer. Call DeKalb Watershed Management if the backup might be in the main.
Source: DeKalb County Code Ch. 25, Art. IV, Div. 3 — Building Sewers and Connections (Secs. 25-215, 25-220)
Who is responsible for sewer line clogs in Gwinnett County?
Gwinnett's lateral policy has DWR clear blockages in the county main and in the part of the lateral inside the right-of-way. Blockages between the house and the right-of-way are the owner's. The owner also owns and maintains the private lateral itself on their property.
Source: Gwinnett County — Sewer Service Lateral Repair/Cleaning Policy (homeowner handout)
Who owns the sewer cleanout at the street in Rockdale County?
The customer. Rockdale's code requires a cleanout at the limit of the right-of-way or easement on each service line and assigns it to the customer. From that point back to the building is the customer's responsibility; the county maintains the line from there to the main.
Source: Rockdale County Code of Ordinances, Ch. 98, Art. I, Div. 1 (Municode)
What should I do before paying a plumber for a sewer backup?
Check the outdoor cleanout, and if it's full near the street, call your utility to inspect its main and right-of-way portion first. If the problem is on your side, ask for camera video showing where the defect sits. That footage settles ownership and lets you compare quotes for the same length of pipe.
Source: InterNACHI — Sewer Scope Inspection Standards of Practice
Do I need a permit to repair my own sewer lateral?
Generally yes, from your city or county, and fees vary. Angi reports a City of Atlanta sewer replacement permit at about $185 to over $400. Monroe requires a city permit to connect to or open any public sewer. Ask your local building or utility office before digging begins.
Source: City of Monroe Code of Ordinances, Ch. 98, Art. IV (Secs. 98-142, 98-144)
Keep going
Related services and guides
- Sewer line repair on the owner's portion
- Sewer camera inspection and locating
- Emergency sewer backup service
- Sewer line replacement
- Sewer line repair cost in Atlanta
- Tree roots in the sewer line
- Septic-to-sewer conversion steps
- Sewer smell in the house
- Sewer service in Gwinnett County
- Sewer service in DeKalb County
- Sewer service in Rockdale County
- Sewer service in Newton County
- Sewer service in Walton County
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
- 1NCWSA — Customer vs. NCWSA Responsibilities
- 2NCWSA — Notice of Policy Change: Maintenance of Sewer Service Laterals (2021) (2021)
- 3Covington, GA Code of Ordinances § 13.16.070 (Municode)
- 4DeKalb County Code Ch. 25, Art. IV, Div. 3 — Building Sewers and Connections (Secs. 25-215, 25-220)
- 5Gwinnett County DWR — Sewer Lateral
- 6Gwinnett County — Sewer Service Lateral Repair/Cleaning Policy (homeowner handout)
- 7Rockdale County Code of Ordinances, Ch. 98, Art. I, Div. 1 (Municode)
- 8City of Monroe Code of Ordinances, Ch. 98, Art. IV (Secs. 98-142, 98-144)
- 9Georgia State Minimum Standard Plumbing Code 2018 (IPC with Georgia amendments), Chapter 7 Sanitary Drainage — via UpCodes (2018)
- 10City of Atlanta Department of Watershed Management
- 11InterNACHI — Sewer Scope Inspection Standards of Practice
- 12Angi — How Much Does Sewer Line Replacement Cost in Atlanta, GA? (updated April 2026) (2026)
Ready when you are
Rather have a pro look at it? Call the crew that digs.
Every sewer lateral has a point where the owner's responsibility stops and the utility's begins. East of Atlanta, that point sits in at least four different places.
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