Fayetteville, 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 Fayetteville Water and Sewer Department in Fayetteville. Call the city first when sewage backs up, since its crews check the public side; when the trouble is in your service line or inside the house, that is the work we do.

The Fayette County Water System sells water but not sewer service, so in Fayetteville the city handles sewage itself. The City of Fayetteville treats its wastewater at a city plant, maintains the mains and lift stations, and takes backup calls through its Water and Sewer Customer Service office.

Its published answers are practical: who to call when a toilet backs up, what the city crew will try first, and where the city's help stops and ours starts.

The Fayette County Water System says it does not provide sewer service; it lists four sewer providers in the county, including the City of Fayetteville, and issues sewer bills on their behalf (Fayette County Water System). The city itself provides water, sewer, sanitation and stormwater service to residents and businesses inside the city limits (Water Customer Service).

The city's Water and Sewer Department has four parts: water treatment, wastewater treatment, distribution and collections, and technical services. The wastewater plant treats incoming flow to state and federal standards before discharging it to Whitewater Creek, and the distribution and collections crew operates the sewer mains and lift stations. Roughly half of the city's drinking water comes from two deep wells and the rest from the county water system (FAQ).

New service is set up in person at City Hall's Water and Sewer Customer Service office, with a deed, tax bill, closing papers or lease plus two forms of identification (FAQ).

Inside the city limits, the city's Building Department reviews plans, issues permits and inspects residential construction. Applications can be filed online or at the Building Department in City Hall, and inspection requests received before 3 p.m. are scheduled for the next business day.

Sewer connections also need the Water and Sewer Department. The code puts the city's sewers under the department's control and bars anyone from uncovering, connecting to or altering a public sewer except under the department's inspection and direction and after a written permit; every building needs its own building sewer (Sec. 86-98). The standards add that all repairs on water service lines are inspected by the building inspector or a representative of that office. Georgia 811 asks homeowners and contractors alike to submit a locate request three business days before any digging (Georgia 811), and state law requires one before mechanized digging (dig law). If the job needs a permit, we tell you before work starts.

Fayetteville's code keeps rainwater out of the sewer unless the director gives written permission: no stormwater, surface water, groundwater, roof runoff, subsurface drainage or impounded water may be discharged to a sanitary sewer (Sec. 86-133). The same section bars liquids colder than 32 or hotter than 150 degrees Fahrenheit and wastewater carrying more than a small amount of fats, oils or grease, and it lets the director require grease, oil and sand traps where wastes call for them, to be maintained by the owner.

For a household, that means cooling and trashing cooking grease rather than rinsing it away, and keeping wipes and paper towels out of the toilet; what not to flush or pour has the full list.

Septic systems are allowed only where public sewer is not available. Permits for systems with soil absorption fields come from the county health department, no permit is issued for a new lot smaller than 43,560 square feet (one acre), and once public sewer becomes available the owner must connect within 60 days of notice and clean out and fill the old tank (Sec. 86-97). The Fayette County environmental health office, which the Department of Public Health lists at 140 Stonewall Avenue West in Fayetteville, holds septic permits and records (DPH).

When the city's crew finds the problem is on the service line between the house and the right-of-way, or inside the house, our technicians take it from there. We handle drain cleaning and main sewer line cleaning, sewer camera inspection to locate the defect, sewer line repair and replacement, cleanout installation and repair, and water line repair on your property. Call Georgia Sewer at (404) 482-2527 or request service.