Alcovy Septic works across the three counties served by GNR Public Health, and several of the numbers that touch a Gwinnett septic owner changed this year. None of it is dramatic. All of it shows up on an invoice or a permit application eventually, so here are the plain facts with links to the primary sources.
Environmental health fee schedules were updated
GNR Public Health covers Gwinnett, Newton and Rockdale counties, and each county publishes its own environmental health fee schedule. Two of the three took effect in January, the third in July:
| County | Fee schedule effective date |
|---|---|
| Gwinnett | 1 January 2026 |
| Newton | 1 January 2026 |
| Rockdale | 1 July 2026 |
These schedules set what the health department charges for what a homeowner actually encounters — septic permit applications, repair permits, site evaluations and records requests. They are not what a pumping company charges. If you are budgeting a repair or an addition, pull the current schedule for your county rather than a figure quoted last year.
The county’s septage disposal fee is $130 per 1,000 gallons
This one is invisible to most homeowners but it is in your bill. When a pump truck empties your tank, the contents — septage — have to go to a permitted disposal site. Gwinnett County’s 2026 DWR rates and fee schedule sets septage disposal at $130 per ticket per 1,000 gallons.
That is a floor under the price of a pump-out that no company can discount away. A 1,000-gallon tank means at least one ticket; a 1,500-gallon tank or a badly overdue 1,000-gallon tank can mean more. When you see a $145 advertised price, this is the number that tells you it is not the real price. Our Lawrenceville pumping cost guide walks through what actually makes up the bill.
The sewer development charge is $4,147
If you are looking at abandoning your tank and connecting to public sewer, the county’s septic-to-sewer procedure sets a system development charge of $4,147 for a ¾-inch meter, plus a $25 administrative fee — $4,172 at the counter. The plumbing permit runs 0.6% of the estimated job cost, there are two inspections, and the existing tank must be pumped and then crushed or filled.
None of that is the whole cost. The private connection work — trenching from the house to the main, the plumbing, yard restoration — is frequently the larger number, and in this area often lands well above $14,000. Georgia’s rules matter too: if public sewer runs within 200 feet of your property line, connection is generally required, and a failing system with sewer available has to connect. The septic-to-sewer conversion cost guide has the full breakdown.
The Level 3 soil report requirement still applies
Not new this year, but still the thing that catches people out. Since 7 February 2022, GNR has required a Level 3 soil report for all septic permits in Gwinnett, Newton and Rockdale — new systems, repairs, and additions requiring modification to the existing system — before a permit is issued.
In practice that means hiring a soil classifier and getting the report done before the permit application, not after it is rejected. It applies whether you are putting in a new system on a raw lot, replacing a failed drain field, or adding a bedroom that changes the required tank capacity. Routine pumping and ordinary service calls are not permit work and are unaffected. The Gwinnett septic repair permit guide walks through the sequence.
Two things that did not change
The stormwater credit is still available. Gwinnett still grants a 10% stormwater utility fee credit for five years when you submit a dated pumping receipt from a licensed hauler, capped at 40% of the fee. It is one of the few places the county pays you back for maintenance. See the stormwater credit guide for how to apply.
Septic records are still free online. Gwinnett’s records go back to 1959 and have been available through the county’s GIS Data Browser since 2011. The septic records guide has the click path.
What to do with all this
If you are simply maintaining a system, nothing here changes your routine — pump on schedule, keep the dated receipt, claim the stormwater credit. If you are planning a repair, a replacement or a sewer connection in the next twelve months, pull the current fee schedule for your county and budget the soil report before anything else. Owners in Snellville and Conyers sit inside the GNR district, and all three fee schedules apply somewhere in our service area. Questions about your situation: get in touch.