Suwanee, GA Sewer and Drain Service: Local Rules
Georgia Sewer cleans, inspects and repairs drains, sewer lines and water lines for homes in Suwanee. 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
Suwanee, GA at a glance
- County
- Gwinnett County
- Water and sewer
- Gwinnett County Department of Water Resources
- Plumbing permits
- City of Suwanee Planning Services, Inspections & Zoning
Utility rules and numbers checked October 24, 2026
Whose pipe is it in Suwanee?
The public sewer in Suwanee 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 Suwanee
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 Suwanee
Each job starts with a diagnosis; the service follows what we find.
Local rules in Suwanee
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's dispatch center, open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, takes reports of sewer backups, spills and overflowing manholes (Gwinnett County).
- When the main is flowing and the stub at the right-of-way cleanout is dry while sewage still backs up inside, Gwinnett DWR places the blockage on the owner's side and does no further work (Gwinnett County).
Your sewer line and the public main
- Gwinnett DWR's procedure defines the private lateral as the 4-inch pipe from the end of the county's 6-inch stub to the building, and makes the owner responsible for it up to the right-of-way or easement line (Gwinnett County).
Cleanouts (2)
- A Gwinnett lateral may have two or more cleanouts: the one at the right-of-way is the county's to maintain, and one closer to the home belongs to the homeowner (Gwinnett County).
- Gwinnett DWR crews can use only a cleanout in the right-of-way or an easement to clean or maintain a lateral (Gwinnett County).
Roots and pipe defects (1)
- Gwinnett DWR's backup procedure says that historically more than 70 percent of reported backups were in the privately maintained part of the lateral, most often where roots got in at the 4-inch-to-6-inch connection (Gwinnett County).
Grease and what goes down the drain (1)
- Gwinnett DWR warns that grease poured hot turns solid as it cools and can clog the house plumbing or lateral, and asks residents to let grease cool in a lidded can for the trash (Gwinnett County).
Permits (3)
- Suwanee requires permits for changes to plumbing systems, water heater replacement included, but not for minor repairs, and its inspections staff can tell an owner whether a project needs one (suwanee.com).
- Suwanee's readiness policy requires all work subject to inspection to be finished before an inspection is requested; permit applications and inspection requests are made online (suwanee.com).
- Suwanee's building permits page lists the 2024 International Plumbing Code with Georgia amendments among the codes the city has adopted (suwanee.com).
Digging in the street or right-of-way (2)
- Gwinnett DWR's procedure doesn't let owner-hired plumbers or contractors cut or dig into the right-of-way (Gwinnett County).
- Gwinnett's code prohibits an owner from digging, filling or building in a permanent county sewer easement without DWR's permission and says the county won't replace anything it removes there to reach its pipes (§ 106-96) (Municode).
Your water line (3)
- Suwanee's utilities page lists the Gwinnett County Department of Water Resources as the water utility serving city residents (suwanee.com).
- Gwinnett DWR's duty for the water line ends at the meter; leaks between the meter and the house, backflow devices and irrigation are the owner's to fix (Gwinnett County).
- Gwinnett DWR asks residents to report leaks in the meter box or the street to its 24-hour dispatch right away (Gwinnett County).
Septic systems (3)
- Gwinnett DWR says a homeowner with a septic system is responsible for maintaining, repairing or replacing every part of it (Gwinnett County).
- Gwinnett DWR recommends pumping a septic tank, and having a licensed septic contractor inspect the system, every three to five years (Gwinnett County).
- Gwinnett DWR says a zero sewer charge on the county water bill most likely means the home uses a septic system (Gwinnett County).
Other local rules (3)
- Suwanee's stormwater utility ordinance notes that the sanitary sewer in the city is operated by the Gwinnett County Department of Water Resources and that poorly managed stormwater increases infiltration and inflow into it (§ 34-581) (Municode).
- Gwinnett DWR suggests that home buyers add a sewer lateral inspection to their home inspection (Gwinnett County).
- Gwinnett DWR counts a roof drain tied into a sewer lateral as a source of inflow, uses cameras and smoke testing to find such defects, and notifies owners when one turns up on their property (Gwinnett County).
Lead service line records in Suwanee
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 Suwanee?
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 Suwanee?
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