Septic permits & records
Gwinnett Environmental Health Department (GNR Public Health)
- Address
- 455 Grayson Hwy, Suite 600, Lawrenceville, GA 30046
- Phone
- 770.963.5132
- Hours
- No applications Wednesdays, 1–2 p.m., or after 4 p.m.
Suwanee, GA · Gwinnett County
Septic, sewer and water line service in Suwanee, where the city's old well-water system moved to Gwinnett County in 2021 and historic-area homes still use septic.
Suwanee, Gwinnett County · about 56 min / 31.1 mi by road from our Oxford shop. ZIP code 30024.
- Georgia DPH-certified installer & pumper
- Residential & commercial
- Local shop in Oxford, GA
Get a free estimate
or call (678) 863-5620The short answer
Who handles sewer, water and septic in Suwanee, GA?
Gwinnett County runs Suwanee's sewer and, since December 2021, its water too, after the city handed over its small well system. The city says many homes in its historic area still have septic tanks, which GNR's Gwinnett office permits. Owners maintain the lateral, the line past the meter and any tank.↗↗↗
Reviewed by Atlanta Water & Sewage Solutions · Last updated
The Suwanee story
A railroad town that gave up its wells
Suwanee grew around the tracks. The post office opened in 1837, the Georgia Air Line Railroad came through in 1871, and a fire ten years later spared a single building on Main Street. Buford Highway and then I-85 turned it into the north Gwinnett suburb it is now.↗
For decades the city pumped its own groundwater. By 2021 that system was nearly 70 years old, needed costly upgrades, and served only a few hundred customers, so Suwanee transferred it to Gwinnett's Department of Water Resources that December.↗
The water tower stayed on the skyline, but the wells came out of service. For anyone digging a line today, that means one owner for the main and the meter: the county.↗
On the record
- The city's water system had just 360 customers when it moved to Gwinnett on December 1, 2021; the county committed $500,000 to upgrades such as new pipe and hydrants.↗
- Suwanee's old system ran on groundwater from city wells; Gwinnett's is surface water, which the city warned might taste a little different.↗
Local facts
Suwanee by the 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 |
|---|---|---|
| City limits | 11.0 square miles, bounded by Sugar Hill, Duluth and the Chattahoochee River | Wikipedia — Suwanee, Georgia |
| The 30024 ZIP | Also used by parts of unincorporated Gwinnett, Forsyth and Fulton outside the city | Wikipedia — Suwanee, Georgia |
| Median year built | 2003; about half of 8,584 housing units are detached houses | Census Reporter API — Suwanee city, GA (ACS 2020-2024 5-year) |
| Town history | Post office 1837, railroad 1871, Main Street fire 1881 | Wikipedia — Suwanee, Georgia |
| City stormwater fee | Under $7.50 a month for most detached homes, on the property tax bill | City of Suwanee — Stormwater Utility |
Who owns what
Three pipe owners on one Suwanee lot
Gwinnett owns the water and sewer mains, the city owns the storm drains, and the homeowner owns the rest.
Gwinnett DWRwater service line
Owner from the meter to the house; the county owns the meter and everything toward the main↗
Where the line sits: meter
Gwinnett DWRsewer lateral
Owner, all the way to and including the connection at the right-of-way; the county keeps the cleanout there↗
Where the line sits: right-of-way cleanout
Storm pipes are a separate system. Suwanee runs its own stormwater utility, so a collapsed culvert in the street is a city matter, not a sewer one.↗
Sewer or septic?
County sewer, with tanks in the old part of town
Suwanee's own public works pages say it directly: many homes in the historic area have septic systems. No one publishes a count, so the bill and the permit file are the tests.↗
The water handoff muddied the bill test for a while. The city warned that a customer who bought water from Suwanee could still be on county sewer, with a separate sewer bill from Gwinnett.↗
How to tell which one you have
- "Sewer Amount" of $0.00 on a Gwinnett water bill usually means a tank.
- GNR's Gwinnett office can pull a system sketch for installs since 1959.
More about Suwanee
Not every failing pipe is a sewer
A sinkhole near the curb in Suwanee is often a storm drain. The city started a stormwater utility after an engineering review found about $12 million of needed work, much of it in corrugated metal pipe laid from the 1980s into the early 2000s.↗
We sort it out on the first visit. If the cave-in follows the lateral from your cleanout, it's yours and we fix it; if it follows a storm line, the city's public works staff takes the call.↗
A sinkhole near the curb in Suwanee is often a storm drain.
Services here
What we do in Suwanee
- 01Sewer Line RepairOwner laterals from the house to Gwinnett's right-of-way cleanout.Sewer Line Repair details
- 02Septic RepairPermitted repairs for tanks in and around the historic district.Septic Repair details
Also available:Water Line RepairSewer Camera InspectionSeptic Pumping
Who to call at the county
The offices behind a Suwanee job
- Gwinnett County Department of Water Resources Water and sewer mains, meters, connection permitsTook over the former city water customers on December 1, 2021.↗
- City of Suwanee Public Works Stormwater pipes, ditches and ponds↗
On the map
From Oxford to Suwanee
About 56 min / 31.1 mi by road from our Oxford shop
Pin near Town Center in north Gwinnett.
Route sourceNearby areas
Around Suwanee
- Sugar Hill septic & sewerSugar Hill septic and sewer, just northeast
- Buford septic & sewerBuford sewer and septic, up US-23
- Lawrenceville septic & sewerLawrenceville service, southeast on GA-316
- Dacula septic & sewerDacula septic service to the east
- Cumming septic & sewerCumming city utility, across the Forsyth line
FAQ
Suwanee 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 Suwanee still provide water?
No. The city transferred its water customers to Gwinnett County's Department of Water Resources on December 1, 2021. Its system was nearly 70 years old and had only 360 customers, too few to keep upgrading on its own.
Source: City of Suwanee — City of Suwanee Transfers Water Service to Gwinnett County (Aug 25, 2021)
Who provides sewer in Suwanee?
Gwinnett County. Even former city water customers could be on county sewer, billed by Gwinnett Water Resources. Homes without a sewer charge are likely on septic.
Source: City of Suwanee — Stormwater Management (septic systems section)
Are there septic tanks in Suwanee?
Yes. The city's stormwater program says many homes in Suwanee's historic area have septic systems. No one publishes a count, so we confirm each house from the bill and the county's permit records.
Source: City of Suwanee — Stormwater Management (septic systems section)
Who repairs the sewer pipe from my Suwanee house to the street?
You do. Gwinnett makes the owner responsible for the whole lateral, including the connection to the county system at the right-of-way. The county handles its main and the cleanout at the right-of-way line.
Where do I find the location of my Suwanee septic tank?
Ask Gwinnett Environmental Health at 770.963.5132. It keeps records for systems installed since 1959 and can provide a sketch of where the tank sits.
Source: City of Suwanee — Stormwater Management (septic systems section)
Is a sinkhole by my Suwanee curb a sewer problem?
Not always. Suwanee has aging corrugated metal storm pipe from the 1980s through the early 2000s, and those lines belong to the city's stormwater program. We can tell you which pipe failed.
Does a Suwanee mailing address mean I'm in the city?
No. Parts of unincorporated Gwinnett, Forsyth and Fulton counties use the 30024 ZIP code. In Forsyth, septic permits and sewer come from different offices than in Gwinnett.
Source: Wikipedia — Suwanee, Georgia
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 Suwanee — City of Suwanee Transfers Water Service to Gwinnett County (Aug 25, 2021)
- 2City of Suwanee — Stormwater Management (septic systems section)
- 3Gwinnett County DWR — Resident Responsibility
- 4Wikipedia — Suwanee, Georgia
- 5Census Reporter API — Suwanee city, GA (ACS 2020-2024 5-year)
- 6City of Suwanee — Stormwater Utility
- 7Gwinnett County DWR — Sewer Lateral
- 8Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 511-3-1-.03
- 9GNR Public Health — Locations (Environmental Health Offices)
Ready when you are
County main, city storm pipe, or yours? We'll tell you on the first visit.
Call with what's backing up or sinking. We'll find the cleanout, meter or tank lid in Suwanee and give you a free estimate for the part that's yours.
(678) 863-5620- Georgia DPH-certified installer & pumper
- Residential & commercial
- Oxford, GA
Free estimate
or call (678) 863-5620