Septic Services in Georgia

35% of Georgia homes rely on septic systems — approximately 1,400,000 systems statewide.

Cities

Providers

35%

On Septic

Georgia Septic Regulations

Georgia regulates septic systems through the Georgia Department of Public Health (DPH), Environmental Health Section. County Boards of Health issue permits and conduct inspections for all on-site sewage management systems. Georgia's regulations are found in the Manual for On-Site Sewage Management Systems, last updated in 2019. All new installations require a site evaluation by a county environmental health specialist, including soil analysis and a percolation test. The state requires a minimum lot size of 21,780 square feet (half acre) for properties with both a well and septic system. Systems must maintain setbacks of 100 feet from wells, 50 feet from surface water, and 10 feet from property lines. Georgia requires septic inspections at time of property transfer in the 13-county metro Atlanta area. Advanced systems require maintenance contracts filed with the county health department.

Licensing Requirements

Georgia requires all septic system installers to hold a valid Installer's Permit issued by the County Board of Health. Master Plumber or Journeyman Plumber licenses are required for connecting household plumbing to the septic system. Septic tank pumpers must obtain a Pumper's Permit and maintain records of all tanks serviced, including volumes and disposal locations. The state mandates liability insurance for all permitted installers and pumpers.

Environmental Considerations

Georgia's Piedmont region — stretching from metro Atlanta through middle Georgia — features dense red clay soils with notoriously poor percolation rates, making conventional drain fields challenging. Many properties require engineered alternatives. The Coastal Plain in southern Georgia has sandier soils and higher water tables. Metro Atlanta's rapid suburban expansion into Cherokee, Forsyth, Gwinnett, and Jackson counties has created enormous demand for new septic installations in exurban developments that outpace sewer infrastructure. Mountain counties in north Georgia have shallow bedrock similar to western North Carolina.