Septic permits & records
Gwinnett Environmental Health Department (GNR Public Health)
- Address
- 455 Grayson Hwy, Suite 600, Lawrenceville, GA 30046
- Phone
- 770.963.5132
Lawrenceville, GA · Gwinnett County
Sewer, septic and water line service in Lawrenceville, where the city runs power and gas but Gwinnett County owns the sewer and water pipes.
Lawrenceville, Gwinnett County · about 37 min / 20.9 mi by road from our Oxford shop. ZIP codes 30042, 30043, 30044, 30045, 30046, 30049.
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- Residential & commercial
- Local shop in Oxford, GA
Get a free estimate
or call (678) 863-5620The short answer
Who handles sewer, water and septic problems in Lawrenceville, GA?
Not City Hall. Lawrenceville's own utilities are electric, gas and sanitation; Gwinnett County has always run the sewer and has owned the water distribution pipes since December 2020. Homeowners own the lateral and the line past the meter, and septic permits come from GNR's Gwinnett office on Grayson Highway. We work on all three.↗↗↗
Reviewed by Atlanta Water & Sewage Solutions · Last updated
The Lawrenceville story
A power-and-gas town whose sewer was always the county's
Lawrenceville is older than almost anything around it. The General Assembly incorporated it in December 1821, and the courthouse on the square went up in 1885. The city built an electric system in 1903 and a gas system in 1951, and it still sends those bills from City Hall on South Clayton Street.↗↗
Sewer never joined that list. The city's own transition FAQ tells residents plainly that Gwinnett has always been their sewer provider. Water followed in 2020, when the county bought the distribution pipes and the city kept its wells, tanks and treatment plants.↗↗
So a backup on a Lawrenceville street is a county matter at the main and a homeowner matter on the lot. Houses here have a median build year of 1988, meaning most laterals and supply lines are well into middle age.↗
On the record
- Lawrenceville Utilities dates its electric department to 1903 (more than 12,000 customers today) and its gas department to 1951 (about 50,000 customers in three counties).↗
Local facts
Lawrenceville numbers that matter underground
Each row links to the agency, code or publisher it comes from. Tap a source to check it yourself.
| Topic | What it says | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Sewer provider | Gwinnett County DWR — "always" the sewer provider, per the city's utility FAQ | Lawrenceville Utilities — FAQs: Water Department Change to Gwinnett County |
| City-run utilities | Electric, natural gas and sanitation; not water or sewer | Lawrenceville Utilities — About Lawrenceville Utilities |
| Incorporated | December 15, 1821; the second-oldest city in metro Atlanta | Wikipedia — Lawrenceville, Georgia |
| Watershed sub-basins | Seven, split between the Yellow and Alcovy Rivers; no water supply reservoir within seven miles | City of Lawrenceville — Article XI, Small Water Supply Watershed Ordinance |
| Stormwater billing | City utility: flat rate for homes, impervious area for businesses | City of Lawrenceville — Stormwater Management |
| Creek gauge | Pew Creek at Patterson Road drains 7.42 square miles (USGS 02205522) | USGS — Pew Creek at Patterson Rd, near Lawrenceville, GA |
Who owns what
Lawrenceville's ownership lines, pipe by pipe
Because Gwinnett owns both systems here, the county's rules decide where your responsibility begins.
Gwinnett DWRmain
Gwinnett County; its 24-hour line for sewage in the street is 678.376.7000↗
Gwinnett DWRsewer lateral
The property owner, from the house to and including the tie-in at the right-of-way↗
Where the line sits: right-of-way connection
Gwinnett DWRwater service line
The property owner on the house side of the meter; DWR owns the meter, the short pipe to the main, and the main↗
Where the line sits: meter
The 2020 handover did not swap anyone's meter or meter number, so the box at your curb still marks where the county's pipe stops and yours starts.↗
Sewer or septic?
Sewer in the core, septic rules still on the books
Nobody publishes a count of Lawrenceville parcels on tanks. What the city does publish is a permit gate: a building that needs on-site sewage disposal gets no building permit until Gwinnett Environmental Health issues a septic permit.↗
The city's groundwater recharge ordinance also sizes septic lots at 110 to 150 percent of the state minimum, depending on how susceptible the ground is to pollution. Many addresses with a Lawrenceville ZIP sit outside the city in unincorporated Gwinnett, where tanks are more common.↗
How to tell which one you have
- A Gwinnett water bill showing a $0.00 sewer charge usually means a tank.
- A cleanout cap near the street points to a sewer lateral; a buried lid in the yard points to a tank.
More about Lawrenceville
Creek setbacks that decide where a drain field can go
Lawrenceville drains two ways: west through Pew and Redland Creeks to the Yellow River, and east through Cedar and Shoal Creeks to the Alcovy. The city protects every perennial stream with a buffer and an impervious-surface setback.↗
Tanks and drain fields are barred inside that setback: 75 feet from each bank in most of the city, 150 feet near a public intake. On a creek lot, that line often decides whether a repair fits where the old field sat.↗
Lawrenceville drains two ways: west through Pew and Redland Creeks to the Yellow River, and east through Cedar and Shoal Creeks to the Alcovy.
Services here
What we do in Lawrenceville
- 01Sewer Line RepairLaterals from the late-1980s build-out, owned by you up to the county tie-in.Sewer Line Repair details
- 02Sewer Line Installation & ReplacementNew laterals and septic-to-sewer tie-ins, which need a DWR connection permit first.Sewer Line Installation & Replacement details
- 03Water Line Repair & InstallationThe owner's pipe from the Gwinnett meter to the house.Water Line Repair & Installation details
- 04Septic RepairPermitted repairs for tank lots the sewer never reached.Septic Repair details
- 05Septic InstallationNew or replacement systems sized to the city's recharge-area lot rules.Septic Installation details
- 06Commercial Sewer RepairRestaurant and storefront lines around the square and the GA-316 corridor.Commercial Sewer Repair details
Also available:Sewer Camera InspectionSeptic PumpingEmergency Septic & Sewer Service
Who to call at the county
The offices behind a Lawrenceville job are all in town
- Gwinnett County Department of Water Resources Sewer and water mains, meters, connection permitsMain office at 684 Winder Highway, Lawrenceville; 678.376.6700.↗
- Lawrenceville Utilities Electric, natural gas and sanitationUseful for locating city gas and power lines before a dig, not for sewer or water.↗
- GNR soil-report requirement Level 3 soil report before any Gwinnett septic permit, repairs included↗
On the map
From our Oxford shop to the Lawrenceville square
About 37 min / 20.9 mi by road from our Oxford shop
Pin near the historic courthouse downtown.
Route sourceNearby areas
Around Lawrenceville
- Grayson septic & sewerGrayson septic and sewer, southeast toward the Alcovy
- Dacula septic & sewerDacula septic service, northeast past GA-316
- Snellville septic & sewerSnellville sewer and septic, south on GA-124
- Lilburn septic & sewerLilburn laterals and tanks, to the southwest
- Loganville septic & sewerLoganville sewer and septic, across the Walton line
- Tucker septic & sewerTucker sewer lines, west into DeKalb
FAQ
Lawrenceville sewer, septic and water questions
Straight answers, with the rule or record behind them. Still unsure? Call and ask the crew that digs.
(678) 863-5620Does the City of Lawrenceville provide sewer service?
No. Lawrenceville Utilities covers electric, natural gas and sanitation. The city's own FAQ on the water transition states that Gwinnett has always been the sewer provider, so sewer charges, main blockages and new connections all go through Gwinnett's Department of Water Resources.
Source: Lawrenceville Utilities — FAQs: Water Department Change to Gwinnett County
Who repairs a leak in my water line now that Gwinnett took over?
Gwinnett has owned the old city water distribution pipes since December 1, 2020. DWR maintains the main, the pipe to the meter and the meter itself; a leak between the meter and your house is yours to fix, and that is the line we repair or replace.
Are there still septic tanks inside Lawrenceville city limits?
The city doesn't publish a count, but its code still regulates them. Lawrenceville adopted the Gwinnett health code's on-site sewage rules, requires a Gwinnett Environmental Health septic permit before a building permit where a tank is planned, and sets minimum lot sizes for septic homes in recharge areas.
How close to a creek can a drain field go in Lawrenceville?
Not inside the stream setback. The small water supply watershed ordinance bans septic tanks and drain fields within 75 feet of each bank of a perennial stream in most of the city, and within 150 feet where the stream lies within seven miles upstream of a public drinking water intake.
Source: City of Lawrenceville — Article XI, Small Water Supply Watershed Ordinance
Who do I call about sewage coming out of a manhole on my street?
Gwinnett DWR's 24-hour line, 678.376.7000. The county owns the main and clears blockages in it. Sewage at your own cleanout while the street stays dry usually means a problem in your lateral.
Source: Gwinnett County DWR — Contact
Does Gwinnett's septic pumping credit work inside the city?
Lawrenceville bills its own stormwater utility, with a flat residential rate, so the county's 10 percent pumping credit is tied to a fee the city, not the county, charges you. The city's stormwater page lists no septic credit; ask Lawrenceville's stormwater staff before counting on one.
Where is the septic permit office for Lawrenceville?
In town: GNR Public Health's Gwinnett Environmental Health office at 455 Grayson Highway, Suite 600. GNR requires a Level 3 soil report before issuing any septic permit, including a repair, and we can handle the application as your contractor.
Source: GNR Public Health — Locations (Environmental Health Offices)
How do I tell if my Lawrenceville house is on sewer or septic?
Check your Gwinnett water bill. Gwinnett notes that a sewer charge of $0.00 usually means the property has a septic tank. You can also ask GNR's Gwinnett office for any septic permit on file for the address.
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
- 1Lawrenceville Utilities — FAQs: Water Department Change to Gwinnett County
- 2Gwinnett County — Board of Commissioners Agrees to Purchase Lawrenceville Water Distribution System
- 3GNR Public Health — Locations (Environmental Health Offices)
- 4Wikipedia — Lawrenceville, Georgia
- 5Lawrenceville Utilities — About Lawrenceville Utilities
- 6Census Reporter API — ACS 2024 5-year (Lawrenceville city and Gwinnett County)
- 7City of Lawrenceville — Article XI, Small Water Supply Watershed Ordinance
- 8City of Lawrenceville — Stormwater Management
- 9USGS — Pew Creek at Patterson Rd, near Lawrenceville, GA
- 10Gwinnett County DWR — Contact
- 11Gwinnett County DWR — Sewer Lateral
- 12Gwinnett County DWR — Resident Responsibility
- 13City of Lawrenceville — Building Permits
- 14City of Lawrenceville — Article XII, Groundwater Recharge Areas Ordinance
- 15Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 511-3-1 (On-Site Sewage Management Systems)
- 16GNR Public Health — Septic Systems
- 17Gwinnett County DWR — Septic Tanks
Ready when you are
County pipes, your pipes — we sort out which in one visit.
Tell us what you're seeing. We come out for a free estimate, find the cleanout, meter or tank lid, and show you which part is Gwinnett's and which part we fix.
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