Griffin, 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 City of Griffin Water & Wastewater in Griffin and the nearby parts of Spalding County on city sewer. If a manhole is overflowing, neighbors share the backup, or the problem is past the point of acceptance where the lateral becomes the city's, that is the city's to handle; for the building sewer from your house to that point, call us at (404) 482-2527.

Griffin treats its wastewater at three city plants, and its sewers have been extended past the city limits into some neighboring parts of Spalding County. Most of the county outside the city, though, still relies on septic tanks, according to the city-county wastewater plan cited below.

Griffin's code also has a rule worth knowing before you build or remodel: every new building must have a backwater valve, and the city does not accept liability for backup damage where a valve was required. The city web pages we cite are archived copies from May 2026, so confirm current contacts with the city.

The City of Griffin owns and operates two drinking water plants, two reservoirs and three water pollution control plants, along with pump stations and the water distribution and wastewater collection systems (Water & Wastewater). The Wastewater page divides the city by plant: Cabin Creek serves north Griffin, Potato Creek the south side, and Shoal Creek, working with the Blanton Mill land application site, the west side of Griffin and parts of Spalding County.

The city-county wastewater plan describes the reach of those pipes. Areas inside Griffin are already sewered with only a few exceptions where lines were not economically feasible, the system has been extended outside the city where there was no other viable option, and most areas outside Griffin have no sewer access and rely on septic systems (Wastewater Management Plan).

Griffin bills as a combined utility, so the whole bill must be paid to keep any one service (Customer Service FAQ). Outside the city, your water may belong to the Spalding County Water Authority even though maintenance and billing are handled by Griffin under contract (SCWA); a sewer charge on the bill is what shows a sewer connection.

Griffin's Permits & Inspections office issues construction permits on weekdays. Trade permits for all plumbing work must be obtained by licensed contractors, and the city specifies that repairing or installing water lines and sewer tie-ins or repairs also require a trade permit by a licensed contractor. Homeowners may pull building permits for work they do themselves, with an affidavit, but sewer work falls under the trade permit rule. The city's inspectors coordinate with utility providers to clear connections. If the job needs a permit, we tell you before work starts.

Connections to the public sewer need the director's written approval, based on a permit application and fees, and no work may be covered until it is inspected (Sec. 94-39). Before any digging, Georgia 811 asks everyone to allow at least three business days for a locate request (Georgia 811); state law requires the request before excavation with machines (dig law).

Roof downspouts, foundation drains, yard drains and other sources of surface runoff may not be connected to the building sewer or service lateral (Sec. 94-39). Griffin's list of prohibited discharges also names swimming pool drainage and condensate alongside stormwater, groundwater and roof runoff, unless the director authorizes them (Sec. 94-56).

The same list bars wastewater hotter than 104 degrees Fahrenheit, wastewater heavy with fats, oils or grease, and solids that can obstruct the flow. For draining a pool, ask the city first. For keeping grease and wipes out of the line at home, see what not to flush or pour, the list we leave with customers after a grease clog.

Inside the city sewer service area, buildings that can reach public sewer must connect before a certificate of occupancy is issued; where they cannot, the city issues no permit or certificate until the county board of health has issued a septic permit (Sec. 94-35). Once sewer becomes accessible, a failed septic system cannot be repaired and the home must connect (Sec. 94-37). We do not pump septic tanks; septic permits and records for Spalding County are kept by the county environmental health office in Griffin (DPH).

If you are building or remodeling in Griffin, plan for the backwater valve the code requires and ask the city where the point of acceptance is for your lot. On an existing home, we start with a sewer camera inspection to trace the building sewer toward that point, and main sewer line cleaning when it is backing up. Because Griffin can order repairs to a lateral that lets in groundwater or rainwater, we also handle sewer line repair and sewer line replacement, and on the water side, water line repair. Call Georgia Sewer at (404) 482-2527.