Covington, GA 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 City of Covington Water Resources Department in Covington. When the trouble is past the city street line or in the city sewer main, the city handles it, and we tell you when that is the call to make.

Covington runs its own utilities, so inside the city the sewer under your street belongs to the city, not to Newton County. City code, not a county ordinance, decides where your part of the line ends.

Here is what the city publishes about its sewer system and rules, as checked in October 2026.

The City of Covington's Water Resources Department runs a sewer system that dates back to 1910 and includes more than 125 miles of sanitary sewer lines (Water/Sewer System). Wastewater goes to the city's Water Reclamation Facility, which Georgia EPD permits to treat up to 5.6 million gallons a day (Water Reclamation). The city provides electric, natural gas, water, sewer, garbage and stormwater service to customers in its jurisdiction, billed by the city's customer service department (Customer Service), so your city utility bill is the place to confirm you have city sewer.

City code applies its sewer rules to the city's sewer systems in adjacent unincorporated areas as well as inside city limits (Code § 13.16.300). Covington also treats part of neighboring Oxford's wastewater, but Oxford runs and bills its own sewer service (Oxford comprehensive plan).

The city's Planning and Development Department reviews, permits and inspects all construction inside Covington city limits, and plumbing permits are among the permits it issues (Planning and Development). Uncovering, opening or connecting to a public sewer requires a written permit from the city's building and zoning office (Code § 13.16.190).

The city's water and sewer page also reminds residents to call 811 before digging (Water/Sewer System). Georgia 811 asks for a dig ticket at least three business days ahead, and state law requires one before digging with mechanized equipment (Georgia 811; O.C.G.A. Title 25, Ch. 9). If the job needs a permit, we tell you before work starts.

Covington has run a fats, oils and grease program since September 1998, and its updated rules list 183 grease trap locations and require food businesses to pump or clean traps every three months or as needed, tracking the waste with manifests (FOG program). The city's grease page explains the reason: grease that goes down a drain can turn thick or solid as it cools in the sewer and cause blockages, backups and overflows, so wipe dishes, pots and pans before washing (FOG page).

City code forbids putting anything into a public sewer other than the waste it was built to carry (Code § 13.16.080). It also bars stormwater, surface water, groundwater, roof runoff and subsurface drainage from the sanitary sewer, and allows no new connections from roof drains or other sources of inflow (Code § 13.16.250; Code § 13.16.240). For household habits, see what not to flush or pour.

Inside the city, a home on a septic tank must connect once sewer is reasonably available, which the code defines as any part of the property abutting a street or utility easement with a sewer line under it; if the owner hasn't connected within 90 days of the city's notice, the code directs the city to condemn the property and forbid occupancy (Code § 13.16.310). After connecting, the old septic tank must be abandoned and filled (Code § 13.16.170).

Septic permits in Newton County come from the county environmental health office of GNR Public Health, which has required a Level 3 soil report for new, repair and addition septic permits since February 7, 2022, and offers evaluations of existing systems (GNR Health).

From your house to the city street line or main, our technicians handle drain cleaning and main sewer line cleaning, hydro jetting for grease buildup, emergency sewer and drain service for backups, sewer camera inspection to find where a problem sits, and sewer line repair and replacement of your part of the line. To book a visit, call Georgia Sewer at (404) 482-2527 or request service.