Norcross, GA Sewer and Drain Service: Local Rules
Georgia Sewer cleans, inspects and repairs drains, sewer lines and water lines for homes in Norcross. Below: who to call first when sewage backs up, where your part of the line ends under the local provider's rules, and what we do about it.
Georgia Sewer — Drain & Sewer Specialists · Operated by Alpha Plumbing and Sewer, LLC
Norcross, GA at a glance
- County
- Gwinnett County
- Water and sewer
- Gwinnett County Department of Water Resources
- Plumbing permits
- City of Norcross Building Official (Community Development)
Utility rules and numbers checked October 24, 2026
Whose pipe is it in Norcross?
The public sewer in Norcross is run by Gwinnett County Department of Water Resources. The provider answers for its main and its part of the line; the line on your side is the property owner's, and that is the part we work on. More on how the line is split: who is responsible for your sewer line.
Gwinnett County Department of Water Resources
Public sewer in Norcross
If sewage is backing up or overflowing
- 24-hour dispatch(678) 376-7000
Where your part of the line ends
Your private lateral runs to the edge of the right-of-way, where county standards call for a cleanout, and you maintain the entire lateral, including its connection to the public sewer.
Source: Gwinnett DWR, Sewer Lateral, read October 24, 2026“The private lateral extends to the edge of the right-of-way, and property owners are responsible for the maintenance and upkeep of the entire lateral, including the connection to the public sewer system.”
On your side of that line? That part is the work we do. Call (404) 482-2527 or send a request.
Our services in Norcross
Each job starts with a diagnosis; the service follows what we find.
Local rules in Norcross
What the city and its utilities publish about the jobs we do here, each with its source (checked in October 2026). The provider's full rules are on Gwinnett County.
When sewage backs up
- Gwinnett DWR treats reports of sewer backups as emergencies and responds at any hour, every day of the year (Gwinnett County).
- After Gwinnett DWR clears a blocked main and the lateral flows again, it schedules a camera inspection of the main within a few days to look for structural problems (Gwinnett County).
Your sewer line and the public main
- Gwinnett DWR compares a private sewer lateral to a furnace or roof: the owner is responsible for maintaining and replacing it, all the way to the edge of the right-of-way (Gwinnett County).
- Norcross's own code puts all costs of installing and connecting a building sewer on the owner and requires a separate building sewer for each building, except in narrow rear-lot cases (§ 36-105) (Municode).
Cleanouts (2)
- Gwinnett County standards call for a cleanout on every lateral at the right-of-way, which DWR maintains; a lateral may also have an owner-maintained cleanout closer to the house (Gwinnett County).
- Gwinnett DWR installs a right-of-way cleanout at county expense, at the owner's request, when it needs one to find a blockage; trees or shrubs too close to the new cleanout may be removed and are not replaced (Gwinnett County).
Roots and pipe defects (2)
- Gwinnett DWR tells homeowners not to plant trees or shrubs with deep roots near the private lateral (Gwinnett County).
- Gwinnett DWR's procedure says roots entering at the 4-inch-to-6-inch connection are the most common cause of the backups it investigates (Gwinnett County).
Grease and what goes down the drain (1)
- Gwinnett DWR explains that grease is liquid when hot but hardens as it cools, so it can start a clog before leaving the house plumbing or the lateral; it suggests wiping greasy cookware before rinsing (Gwinnett County).
Permits (2)
- Norcross's Building Official reviews plans, issues building permits and inspects plumbing, fuel gas, heating and air conditioning work in the city (norcrossga.net).
- Norcross takes inspection requests through an automated phone line, and its FAQ says inspections usually happen the next day when requested before 4 p.m (norcrossga.net).
Digging in the street or right-of-way (3)
- Norcross's code forbids cutting into or removing street or sidewalk paving without first filing a written request with the Public Works Department head, stating the cut's location, size and purpose, and receiving written permission (§ 32-23) (Municode).
- Norcross's Public Works Department supervises and inspects the street cuts it authorizes, and every excavation in a street or sidewalk must be barricaded and lit at night (§§ 32-24, 32-25) (Municode).
- Gwinnett DWR's procedure bars owner-hired plumbers from excavating into the right-of-way, where the county stub runs (Gwinnett County).
Your water line (3)
- Norcross's service-setup page covers the city's electric service and contracted trash collection and links residents to Gwinnett County Water Resources for water (norcrossga.net).
- Gwinnett DWR owns the water main, the pipe to the meter and the meter, while the service line from the meter to the house, backflow preventers and irrigation belong to the owner (Gwinnett County).
- Gwinnett DWR says leaks in the meter box or the street should be reported right away to its 24-hour dispatch (Gwinnett County).
Septic systems (3)
- Norcross's code requires a building to connect to public sewer within 60 days of official notice when the sewer is within 200 feet of the property line, unless the mayor and council approve a deviation by resolution (§ 36-103) (Municode).
- When public sewer becomes available to a Norcross property on septic, the city code requires a direct connection and the abandonment and filling of the old tank (§ 36-104) (Municode).
- Gwinnett DWR says the county's GIS Data Browser can show a sketch of a parcel's septic system and past repair permits, when records exist (Gwinnett County).
Other local rules (2)
- Norcross's 2025 stormwater management plan says the city's sanitary sewer system is maintained and run by Gwinnett County, and the city commits to reporting every suspected sewage spill to the county (norcrossga.net).
- Norcross's code bans connecting roof downspouts, foundation drains, areaway drains or other sources of runoff or groundwater to a building sewer that drains into the public sanitary sewer (§ 36-105) (Municode).
Lead service line records in Norcross
Water utilities must keep a public record of what each service line is made of. What the categories and the utility's letter mean: lead service line check.
Gwinnett County Department of Water Resources
Water utility
Lead service line inventory: Address lookup
Gwinnett says it has no lead service lines and offers an inventory map searchable by address.
Look up your line The utility’s inventory page
Source: Gwinnett County, read October 24, 2026Who owns the water line
The county is responsible for the pipes up to the meter; everything between the meter and the house is the homeowner's.
Source: Gwinnett County, read October 24, 2026Nearby service areas
Drain or sewer trouble in Norcross?
Tell us what the drains are doing, where and since when.
Call (404) 482-2527Or send a service request online
Operated by Alpha Plumbing and Sewer, LLC
Sewage coming out of a manhole or at the street?
Who to call first
Gwinnett County Department of Water Resources(678) 376-700024-hour dispatch
Drain or sewer trouble in Norcross?
Call and describe what is happening, where, and since when — the visit starts from there.
Georgia Sewer — Drain & Sewer Specialists · Operated by Alpha Plumbing and Sewer, LLC