Cherokee County Sewer and Drain Service: Local Rules

Georgia Sewer clears, inspects and repairs the private side of sewer and water lines for homes served by the Cherokee County Water and Sewerage Authority (CCWSA) in Cherokee County. When the trouble is in CCWSA's sewer main, or in a part of the lateral the authority maintains, CCWSA handles it, and because CCWSA's own documents put that boundary in different places, we tell you when to ask the authority before any digging.

In Cherokee County, public sewer can come from the Cherokee County Water and Sewerage Authority (CCWSA) or, in and around Canton and Woodstock, from city systems. CCWSA supplies drinking water across much of the county, but its sewer reaches far fewer people. It says it provides drinking water to more than 190,000 residents and wastewater service to more than 27,000 (CCWSA), so a CCWSA water bill doesn't by itself mean your home is on CCWSA sewer.

CCWSA was created by the Georgia Legislature in 1955 to provide drinking water and sanitary sewer service in Cherokee County. It is a not-for-profit public authority that is not part of county government and receives no tax money from the county or its cities; customer charges pay for operations. Its wastewater goes to three plants: Rose Creek off Wyngate Parkway in the south of the county, Fitzgerald Creek off West Wiley Bridge Road in the southeast, and Riverbend off East Cherokee Drive in the north (CCWSA).

CCWSA's sewer reaches into Holly Springs. The environmental reports CCWSA gives its board record overflows on its lines there, such as one at Holly Drive off Palm Street in 2019 (CCWSA board minutes, October 2019). Around Woodstock, the city and CCWSA divide service by map: the City of Woodstock signed a service delivery agreement with CCWSA in January 2000 that adopted a water and sewer service area boundaries map, and the two have revised it several times since (CCWSA board minutes, December 2019). Homes on the city's side are covered on the Woodstock page, and Canton's system has its own Canton page.

To confirm your provider, check whether your monthly bill from CCWSA includes sewer charges or only water.

In unincorporated Cherokee County, the county's Development Service Center issues trade "service permits" for plumbing, electrical and HVAC work, and only to state-licensed technicians. A permit must be issued before work starts; in an emergency, such as a water heater failing at night, the work may be done first, but a permit must be obtained as soon as possible and the job must pass a final inspection (Cherokee County Service Permits). Holly Springs, Canton and Woodstock issue their own permits; the table below names the office.

Because CCWSA's maintenance edge is the right-of-way or easement line, digging near it starts with Georgia 811, which asks for a free locate request at least three business days ahead; state law requires the request before digging with mechanized equipment, and it limits CCWSA's locating help to laterals up to the edge of the public right-of-way (Georgia 811; Georgia dig law). If the job needs a permit, we tell you before work starts.

CCWSA's sewer use regulations prohibit sending stormwater, surface water, groundwater, roof runoff, subsurface drainage, swimming pool drainage or condensate into its system unless the authority specifically allows it (CCWSA Sewer Use Regulations, § 2.A.2). Its design rules likewise require separate sanitary sewers that exclude rainwater from roofs and groundwater from foundation drains (S302).

On grease, CCWSA's FAQ says its grease management program targets restaurants and other businesses that use a lot of grease, while homeowners pouring cooking oil down the drain are harder to regulate, so it relies on public education (CCWSA FAQs). What not to flush or pour covers grease disposal and why "flushable" wipes clog lines.

Homes outside the sewer service areas rely on septic systems. The North Georgia Health District's county environmental health offices evaluate properties for septic permits and advise homeowners on their systems (NGHD Environmental Health); Cherokee County Environmental Health is on Bluffs Parkway in Canton (NGHD locations). To find out which system your home has, see septic or sewer: how to tell; for upkeep, see septic tank pumping in Georgia.

On the owner's side of the line, our technicians handle drain cleaning and main sewer line cleaning for backups, hydro jetting for grease buildup, sewer camera inspection to find where a problem sits, sewer line repair of the private service line, and cleanout installation and repair. For CCWSA homes in Holly Springs and Woodstock, see our city pages. To book a visit, call Georgia Sewer at (404) 482-2527 or request service.