Fairburn, 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 Fairburn Utilities Department in Fairburn. A problem in the sewer main in the street is the city's to fix, so call the city for that; from the connection at the main into the house, the line is the owner's, and that is the part we work on.

Fairburn runs its own electric, water and sewer utilities (Utilities Department), and its code sets a firm schedule for homes that aren't on the sewer: septic systems must be inspected and pumped at least every five years (§ 59-146).

The city provides electricity, water, sewer and sanitation to most of its residential and business customers, directly or through agreements with outside contractors, but not all services are available in all areas (Utilities Department). The same page warns that a Fairburn mailing address doesn't necessarily mean you live inside the city limits. New service is started, and accounts paid, at City Hall, and the city mails monthly bills that cover sewer along with electricity, water, stormwater and sanitation (§ 59-59).

Fulton County, which runs sewer in much of south Fulton, hasn't permitted or inspected sewer projects that connect inside Fairburn since September 2022 (Fulton County), so connection questions in the city go to Fairburn.

Fairburn's Building and Inspection Division handles permits and inspections. Its permit list covers trade work: anything beyond minor repair work by the homeowner needs a permit, and any work by a licensed tradesperson requires one (Building Division). Plumbing permits use the city's electric, mechanical and plumbing permit application (application).

Work on the connection to the public sewer needs a separate written permit from the city, with a permit and inspection fee. The applicant must notify the city before any backfill, when the building sewer is ready for inspection, and the connection is made under the city's supervision (§ 59-143). If the job needs a permit, we tell you before work starts. For how we choose between repair methods, see sewer line repair options.

Before anyone digs in Fairburn, Georgia 811 asks for a free locate ticket at least three business days ahead, and the state dig law makes one mandatory before digging with powered equipment (Georgia 811; Georgia dig law).

The city's grease door hanger, from the regional Clean Water Campaign, calls fats, oils and grease the number one cause of sewer blockages in metro Atlanta (FOG information). It asks residents to let grease cool and pour liquids into a sealable container for the trash, scrape solids and dry-wipe pans into the trash, and use a sink strainer, and it notes that a garbage disposal only chops grease into smaller pieces. It also warns that residents may be held liable for the damage and cleanup costs of a sewer backup they cause.

The city's grease control program isn't only for restaurants: food service establishments and multi-residential complexes must both comply with its FOG Control Program manual (§ 59-144). Apartment and condo complexes are covered as well as restaurants. Rainwater stays out of the sewer: no one may connect roof downspouts, exterior foundation drains, areaway drains or other sources of runoff or groundwater to a building sewer or drain that leads to the public sewer (§ 59-143). Which household items cause the most trouble is covered in what not to flush or pour.

Where a public sewer is within 100 feet of the property line, the owner must connect within 90 days of official notice (§ 59-141). A new private system needs a written permit from the city, the city may inspect at any stage, a soil absorption system also needs county health department approval, and once sewer becomes available the home must connect within 60 days (§ 59-142).

Section 59-146 sets the maintenance rule (§ 59-146):

1. Every septic system in the city must be serviced, meaning both an inspection of its components and a pump-out of its tanks, at least every five years from the last certified service.
2. The work must be done by state-certified septic service personnel registered with the county health department, who certify that the system is in proper working order.
3. Owners must keep records of installation, maintenance and inspections, including on the city's septic tank guide and maintenance record file.
4. The city won't issue a building permit to renovate or modify an existing home whose septic system isn't in compliance.

The Fulton County Board of Health's environmental health program permits and inspects septic systems in the county (Board of Health). For pumping basics, see septic tank pumping in Georgia.

Fairburn puts the whole line from the main into the house on the owner, including the part under the street, and our technicians work on that line. We handle main sewer line cleaning and hydro jetting for grease and recurring blockages, sewer camera inspection to find where the problem sits, sewer line repair and sewer excavation when a section has failed, and cleanout installation and repair. We do not pump or certify septic systems; for the five-year septic service, use state-certified septic service personnel as the city code requires. For a sewer or drain problem, call Georgia Sewer at (404) 482-2527 or request service.