Septic permits & records
Henry County Environmental Health Office (District 4 Public Health)
- Address
- 137 Henry Parkway, McDonough, GA 30253
- Phone
- 470-661-0044
- Hours
- Mon-Fri 8 am-5 pm, closed 12-1
Locust Grove, GA · Henry County
Septic and sewer service in Locust Grove, Georgia, where new subdivisions on city sewer sit beside rural lots on septic.
McDonough is the county seat. Septic permits and records: Henry County Environmental Health Office (District 4 Public Health), part of District 4 Public Health — Environmental Health (Wastewater Management).
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- Residential & commercial
- Local shop in Oxford, GA
Get a free estimate
or call (678) 863-5620The short answer
Is Locust Grove on sewer or septic?
Both. Locust Grove runs its own sewer, treated at the city's Indian Creek plant since 2005, and newer subdivisions tie into it. Rural RA-zoned acreage and Luella-area addresses can keep septic tanks permitted through District 4 Public Health. Atlanta Water & Sewage Solutions repairs city laterals, water lines and septic systems here.↗↗↗
Reviewed by Atlanta Water & Sewage Solutions · Last updated
At a glance
- County seat
- McDonough
Median year homes were built
2005
Typical house here is about 21 years old — and so is its original sewer or septic line.
ACS 2020-2024 5-year, table B25035 · Census Reporter API - Locust Grove, GA (ACS 2020-2024 5-year)
Housing era
A town whose median house is barely twenty years old
In 1900 Locust Grove counted 254 residents. The General Assembly had incorporated it in 1893, naming it for a stand of locust trees near the first town site, and a Norfolk Southern line still runs beside Highway 42. Today the town meets I-75 at Exit 212, Tanger Outlet Center has been open since the fall of 1994, and the rooftops keep coming.↗
The Census numbers show how recent the housing is. Half of the city's 3,651 homes were built in 2005 or later. Another 442 went up in 2020 or after, while only 83 date from before 1940. For underground work that is good news and a warning: most pipe is young PVC, but young pipe laid in fresh fill can settle, and builder-grade connections are only as good as the day they were made.↗↗
Sewer or septic?
Sewer inside the grid, tanks on the acreage
Locust Grove's code draws the line by distance and gravity. If a building sits within 250 feet of a public sewer it can drain to without a pump, the city can order a connection, and the owner has 60 days after notice to make it. Where no sewer is available under that test, the building sewer goes to a private system that meets Chapter 13.20.↗↗
Zoning keeps room for tanks. The RA residential-agricultural district lists septic as permitted on a 1-acre lot with city water, 1.25 acres with a private well, and 2 acres for a new subdivision. Across the county, HCWA reports that only about 43% of its water customers are also sewer customers, which tells you how common tanks still are just outside town.↗↗
How to tell which one you have
- Your Locust Grove bill shows a sewer charge figured on 100% of your water use
- A green round lid marked SEWER near the front of the lot is a city-standard cleanout box
- No sewer line on the bill and a concrete lid in the yard means a tank
Local facts
Where Locust Grove's water comes from
Each row links to the agency, code or publisher it comes from. Tap a source to check it yourself.
| Topic | What it says | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Supply | A spring on Davis Lake Road (350 gpm), two wells at Warren Holder Park (250 gpm) and a Strong Rock Parkway well added in 2015, with HCWA as backup | City of Locust Grove - Public Works |
| Storage | 500,000 gallons on Price Drive, 250,000 on Highway 42, 750,000 on Locust Grove-Griffin Road | City of Locust Grove - Public Works |
| Household rates (April 2025) | $51.30 base; water $16.65 for the first 2,000 gallons, then $9.47 and $12.12 per 1,000; sewer billed on 100% of water use | City of Locust Grove - City Brochure (April 2025) |
| Rate history | Automatic 2% raises every January and July ended in 2019; rates have held at 2019 levels since | City of Locust Grove - Utilities |
| After-hours utility emergencies | 770-692-2350 (leave a message for city staff) | City of Locust Grove - City Brochure (April 2025) |
The Locust Grove story
Two kinds of service call in one ZIP code
On a subdivision street off Bill Gardner Parkway, the typical call is a backup or a wet spot between the house and the curb. The city built its Indian Creek plant in 2005 to handle that growth, and every one of those homes drains toward it through a lateral the owner is responsible for up to the property line.↗
A few miles out, on a farm road with a Locust Grove mailing address, the same symptom usually means a septic tank or drain field. Those systems answer to District 4 Public Health's Henry County office in McDonough, not to City Hall. The first thing we establish on any call here is which of the two you have, because it changes the permit, the fix and who you call about it.↗
On the record
- The Georgia General Assembly incorporated Locust Grove in 1893; it is named for a grove of locust trees near the original town site.↗
- Locust Grove sits on I-75 at Exit 212, Bill Gardner Parkway, and Tanger Outlet Center opened there in 1994.↗
- 442 Locust Grove housing units were built in 2020 or later; 83 date from 1939 or earlier.↗
- The median Locust Grove home was built in 2005.↗
Services here
What we handle in and around Locust Grove
- 01Sewer Line RepairSettled or root-bound laterals between the house and the city property line.Sewer Line Repair details
- 02Sewer Line Installation & ReplacementNew connections and the 60-day hookup after a city notice.Sewer Line Installation & Replacement details
- 03Septic RepairTanks and fields on rural lots, permitted through District 4.Septic Repair details
- 04Septic InstallationNew systems where city sewer is out of reach and the lot meets the size rules.Septic Installation details
- 05Water Line Repair & InstallationThe customer's pipe from the city meter to the house.Water Line Repair & Installation details
Also available:Septic PumpingSewer Camera InspectionDrain Field Repair & Replacement
Who to call at the county
Who to call: city utility or county health
- City of Locust Grove Public Works Water, sanitary sewer, stormwater and sanitationFacility at 100 Mose Brown Drive; City Hall and the Water Department at 3644 Highway 42↗
FAQ
Locust Grove sewer and septic questions
Straight answers, with the rule or record behind them. Still unsure? Call and ask the crew that digs.
(678) 863-5620Where does Locust Grove's sewage get treated?
At the city's own Indian Creek Water Pollution Control Plant, which opened on December 1, 2005 and treats 1.5 million gallons a day. It replaced the older plants the city ran before the growth years. Homes on septic, of course, treat their own wastewater on the lot.
Can the city make me hook up to sewer?
Yes, if you are inside the limits and within 250 feet of a public sewer your building can drain to by gravity. The code gives you 60 days after official notice to connect at your own cost. Outside that reach, a private system is allowed under Chapter 13.20.
Source: Locust Grove, GA Code of Ordinances § 13.12.060 (Municode)
Is septic allowed on my Locust Grove lot?
It depends on zoning and size. The RA district permits septic on 1 acre with city water or 1.25 acres with a well, and 2 acres for a new subdivision. Any system also needs District 4 approval, and the city adds its own consent step.
Source: Locust Grove, GA Code of Ordinances § 17.04.047 (Municode)
Who issues septic permits for Locust Grove addresses?
Not the city. Septic paperwork for a Locust Grove address goes up the interstate to McDonough, where District 4 keeps its Henry environmental health staff at 137 Henry Parkway. That office permits, inspects and takes complaints about on-site systems, and it uses separate forms for new residential systems and for repairs.
How is my Locust Grove sewer charge calculated?
The city bills sewer on 100% of the water that runs through your meter, under household rates effective April 2025. That means a leak on your side of the meter raises both the water and the sewer lines of the bill.
Where does Locust Grove get its drinking water?
Mostly from its own sources: a spring on Davis Lake Road, two wells at Warren Holder Park and a well on Strong Rock Parkway. The Henry County Water Authority is connected as a backup.
Who do I call about a water main break at night?
The city's after-hours utility emergency line, 770-692-2350, where you leave a message for staff. A leak on your side of the meter is yours to repair, and that is work we do.
Nearby areas
Around Locust Grove
- Jenkinsburg septic & sewerButts County town about 4 miles south
- McDonough septic & sewerHenry's county seat and the EH office, about 7 miles north
- Jackson septic & sewerButts County seat, about 9 miles southeast
- Hampton septic & sewerSpeedway town and its own city sewer, about 11.5 miles west
- Griffin septic & sewerSpalding County, about 12 miles southwest
- Stockbridge septic & sewerNorth Henry, about 15 miles up I-75
On the map
Locust Grove on the map
About 61 min / 36.1 mi by road from our Oxford shop
Public Works sits at 100 Mose Brown Drive and Davis Lake Road.
Route sourceSources
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 Locust Grove - Public Works
- 2Locust Grove, GA Code of Ordinances § 17.04.047 (Municode)
- 3Locust Grove, Georgia - Wikipedia
- 4Census Reporter API - Locust Grove, GA (ACS 2020-2024 5-year)
- 5Census Reporter API - year structure built (B25034), Henry County places (ACS 2020-2024 5-year)
- 6Locust Grove, GA Code of Ordinances § 13.12.060 (Municode)
- 7Locust Grove, GA Code of Ordinances § 13.20.010 (Municode)
- 8Henry County Water Authority - Annual Comprehensive Financial Report FY2025
- 9Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 511-3-1 (DPH On-Site Sewage Management Systems)
- 10City of Locust Grove - City Brochure (April 2025)
- 11City of Locust Grove - Utilities
- 12District 4 Public Health - Henry County location page
- 13District 4 Public Health - Wastewater Management
Ready when you are
Subdivision lateral or country tank? TELL US THE ADDRESS.
We will sort out whether the city or District 4 has a say, find the actual failure, and give you a free on-site estimate for the fix.
(678) 863-5620- Georgia DPH-certified installer & pumper
- Residential & commercial
- Oxford, GA
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or call (678) 863-5620