Rockdale County Sewer and Drain Guide for Homeowners

Who provides sewer service here

Rockdale County Water Resources (RWR) provides water and wastewater service to Rockdale County residents, and its 2026 overview notes platinum awards for its five wastewater treatment facilities (RWR overview). Sewer connections inside Conyers go through RWR too: the county code lays out how RWR handles sewer connection permits for projects within Conyers city limits (Code § 98-91). Since 1998 the county has contracted a professional operations firm to run its treatment plants and pump stations and to maintain and repair the sewer collection system (Wastewater Treatment).

The county's sewer charge is based on the water each customer uses (Code § 98-94). If your bill shows water but no sewer charge, ask RWR whether your home is on septic; the guide to telling septic from sewer lists other checks.

Where your responsibility ends

Rockdale's code is direct: property owners are responsible for building and maintaining the service line from the house to the point where it connects with the county's service lateral, and any pump or other device that moves sewage from the building to that lateral is the owner's to repair and maintain (Code § 98-141). The code doesn't say where the county's lateral starts at any given address, so ask RWR before you pay for digging near the street.

Basements get special attention. The county system is designed to give gravity service to the ground floor and above, so basements and other below-grade rooms may or may not drain by gravity (Code § 98-117). Owners are expected to check sewer elevations before a foundation is poured, and a lift system serving a building drain that sits too low is the owner's to operate and maintain (Code § 98-116). Low fixtures are also where a backwater valve matters; see backwater valves explained.

Each building needs its own connection, and if a rear building on the same lot shares the front building's line, the county takes no responsibility for maintaining that shared connection or for damage it causes (Code § 98-113). No permanent structure may be built within 10 feet of the edge of a permanent wastewater easement on front and rear setbacks, or within 2 feet on side setbacks (Code § 98-122). For how Rockdale compares with other providers, see who is responsible for your sewer line. This page is general information, not legal advice; RWR or an attorney can tell you how the code applies to your lot.

If sewage backs up

RWR's Main Breaks page gives a single number for reporting county-side water leaks, main breaks, sewer backups and overflows, and all after-hours emergencies. Its contact page lists the same line for after-hours reports, while customer service keeps weekday office hours (Contact Information). The department's 2026 overview says its infrastructure division runs water and sanitary sewer field operations, including emergency response (RWR overview).

RWR does not publish a step-by-step backup procedure or response times. When you call, ask whether a crew will check the county main and lateral before you hire a plumber, and write down the date and the name of the person you spoke with. For safety and cleanup inside the house, see what to do when sewage backs up.

Repairs, permits and inspections

In Conyers, the city's Department of Planning and Inspection Services handles residential and commercial inspections, including plumbing rough-in inspections, and asks for at least a half day's notice (City of Conyers). In unincorporated Rockdale, including Milstead, the county's Planning and Development department says permits may be required to install, extend, alter or repair plumbing, and it coordinates reviews with the water and sewer department and environmental health when needed (Rockdale County permits).

Work that touches the public system goes through RWR. Only county employees or authorized agents may uncover, connect to or alter a public wastewater line without approved plans and a written permit from the director (Code § 98-111). A new lateral connection is tested in the presence of the director or a designee, and road cuts must be sawed, backfilled to a set compaction and capped with concrete (Code § 98-119). A connection that is no longer used, for example after a demolition, must be capped and sealed (Code § 98-123).

Before anyone digs, Georgia 811 asks for a dig ticket at least three business days ahead, and state law requires one before digging with mechanized equipment; the sewer utility must help mark laterals up to the edge of the public right-of-way (Georgia 811; O.C.G.A. Title 25, Ch. 9). For repair methods, see sewer line repair options.

Grease, wipes and rainwater

RWR's Preventing Blockages page carries one message, don't clog the pipes with grease and wipes, along with an educational video. County code bars connecting roof downspouts, foundation drains, areaway drains or any other source of surface runoff or groundwater to a sewer lateral or building drain (Code § 98-118). It also obliges every user to reduce inflow and infiltration by using watertight pipe in the private parts of the system, and it prohibits emptying grease-trap contents into the sewer (Code § 98-142). For household habits, see what not to flush or pour.

Septic homes in this area

Septic permits in Rockdale come from the county environmental health office of GNR Public Health, which serves Gwinnett, Newton and Rockdale counties (GNR Health). Since February 7, 2022, it has required a Level 3 soil report for every septic permit, including repairs and additions that modify a system, and it offers evaluations of existing systems (GNR Health). County code adds a local step: no one may build, repair, alter or enlarge a septic tank without prior approval from the RWR director as well as a health department permit (Code § 98-192).

If public sewer is available and your septic system fails, the code gives you 30 days after written notice to connect (Code § 98-194). A tank taken out of service must be cleaned and filled or removed, and the sewer connection is made to the plumbing upstream of the tank (Code § 98-195). Even when treatment capacity is short, the code reserves a small share for a county program that brings sewer to homes whose failing septic systems the health department finds can't feasibly be repaired (Code § 98-90).

Cities and communities served

RWR serves Conyers and unincorporated communities such as Milstead (Code § 98-91). Neighboring areas are listed in the local directory.

Next step

Before you hire anyone to dig near the street, call RWR and ask where the county's service lateral begins at your address and whether a crew will check the county side first.