# Septic Tank Abandonment Gwinnett County | Pump and Close | Alcovy Septic > Septic tank abandonment in Gwinnett County for sewer conversions and teardowns. Tank pumped, then crushed or filled to county requirements. Call to schedule. URL: https://septictankpumpinglawrenceville.com/septic-tank-abandonment/ 1. [Home](https://septictankpumpinglawrenceville.com/)/ 2. Septic Tank Abandonment # Septic Tank _Abandonment_ in Gwinnett County When you connect to sewer, the old tank has to be dealt with, not just disconnected. We pump it out and close it — emptied and crushed, or filled with concrete or gravel — so your plumber's inspection passes the first time. [Call (470) 299-0510](tel:+14702990510) [Request a callback](#quote) Price range given before dispatch · Answered 24/7 - Tank pumped out before any crushing or filling - Closed by crushing or filling to county requirements - Septage hauled to a permitted disposal site - Dated record of the pump-out for your file Last updated: September 17, 2026 [Alcovy Septic](https://septictankpumpinglawrenceville.com/) handles septic tank abandonment in Gwinnett County: the pump-out and tank closure step at the end of a septic-to-sewer conversion, a teardown or a rebuild. The plumber ties your house into the sewer; we empty the old tank and close it the way the county requires, so the final inspection is not the thing that stalls your project. ## When you have to connect Georgia does not leave this to preference. [Rule 511-3-1-.03](https://regulations.justia.com/states/georgia/department-511/chapter-511-3/subject-511-3-1/rule-511-3-1-03) requires a property to connect to public sewer when sewer is available **within 200 feet of the property line**, and if the on-site system is failing and sewer is available, connection is required immediately. If sewer is further away than that, you are not being forced anywhere — keep the tank on a normal pumping interval and watch the usual [signs it needs pumping](https://septictankpumpinglawrenceville.com/guide/signs-septic-tank-needs-pumping/). Conversion only makes financial sense when the line is close or the system has already failed and [drain field repair](https://septictankpumpinglawrenceville.com/drain-field-repair/) would cost more than connecting. ## Gwinnett’s procedure, in order For unincorporated Gwinnett, the county publishes the sequence in its [residential septic to sewer procedure](https://www.gwinnettcounty.com/static/departments/DWR/water_projects/pdf/SeptictoSewer_HS.pdf): 1. **Get estimates from licensed plumbers** for the connection work. That price is the plumber’s, not ours, and it is the largest single line item in most conversions. 2. **Pay the county charges and collect the septic-to-sewer permit** at the DWR Central Facility on Winder Highway in Lawrenceville. 3. **Give the permit to your plumber**, who pulls a **plumbing-only permit** from the Building Permits Division. 4. **Connect to the cleanout** — the house line is tied into the sewer service at the cleanout the county has provided. 5. **Abandon the tank** — it is either emptied and crushed, or filled with concrete or gravel. **Two inspections** run during the work: one on the sewer cleanout connection, and one after the tank abandonment. Step five is our part. ## What the county charges For a three-quarter-inch residential meter, the county side is **$4,172** — a **$4,147 system development charge** plus the **$25 septic-to-sewer permit**. The plumbing-only permit is billed at **0.6 percent of the construction estimate, with a $30 minimum**. All of that is county money; the plumber’s labor, the trenching and any yard restoration are separate and quoted by the plumber. Inside the **City of Snellville**, the county wrote its own version of the procedure: the same $4,172 in county charges and the same county septic-to-sewer permit, but the plumbing permit is a **$60 City of Snellville permit** and the city handles the inspections. Homeowners in [Snellville](https://septictankpumpinglawrenceville.com/service-areas/snellville/) should check which document their address falls under before paying anything. Our [conversion cost guide](https://septictankpumpinglawrenceville.com/guide/septic-to-sewer-conversion-cost-gwinnett/) walks through the full budget including the plumber’s side. ## What “abandonment” actually involves The tank gets pumped dry first. Everything — liquid, sludge and scum from both compartments — comes out and goes to a permitted receiving site. Crushing a tank with septage still in it puts that septage straight into the soil under your yard, which is the outcome the whole procedure exists to prevent. Then the tank is closed. Crushed means the lid and walls are broken in and the shell collapsed, then backfilled to grade. Filled means the empty tank is packed with concrete or gravel and covered. Either way the result is the same: no void under the lawn that can give way under a mower, a vehicle or a child. Finding the tank is the step people underestimate on a house where nobody has opened a lid in 30 years. Gwinnett’s septic records go back to 1959 and have been online since 2011 — our [records guide](https://septictankpumpinglawrenceville.com/guide/gwinnett-county-septic-records/) shows how to pull your plat before the crew arrives. If the lids are deep and you are not converting yet, [risers](https://septictankpumpinglawrenceville.com/septic-tank-locating-and-risers/) make every future visit cheaper. ## Who does which part The plumbing work is licensed plumbing work, and the price for it comes from your plumber. We do not quote it and we do not perform it. What we do is the pump-out and closure: locating the tank, emptying it, hauling the septage as a certified pumper working for a company with a county septage removal permit under the [Georgia Department of Public Health](https://dph.georgia.gov/environmental-health/onsite-sewage/how-become-certified-installerpumper), and crushing or filling the shell. You get a dated record of gallons removed and where they went, which is worth keeping with the closing file — the same paperwork a [septic inspection](https://septictankpumpinglawrenceville.com/septic-tank-inspection/) or a buyer would ask for. For commercial properties, [commercial septic pumping](https://septictankpumpinglawrenceville.com/commercial-septic-pumping/) covers the larger tanks and pump chambers that usually come with them. [Get in touch](https://septictankpumpinglawrenceville.com/contact/) once you have your plumber’s dates and we will schedule around the inspections. ## What's included - Tank located and lids uncovered - All compartments pumped dry - Septage hauled to a permitted disposal site - Tank crushed, or filled with concrete or gravel - Void left safe and backfilled to grade - Work scheduled around the plumber's inspection - Photographs of the closed tank on request - Dated record of gallons removed and disposal site Sources 1. [Gwinnett County DWR — Residential septic to sewer procedure (unincorporated)](https://www.gwinnettcounty.com/static/departments/DWR/water_projects/pdf/SeptictoSewer_HS.pdf) 2. [Gwinnett County DWR — Residential septic to sewer procedure (City of Snellville)](https://www.gwinnettcounty.com/static/departments/DWR/water_projects/pdf/ResidentialSeptictoSewerProcedureCityofSnellville.pdf) 3. [Georgia Rule 511-3-1-.03 — Connection to public sewerage](https://regulations.justia.com/states/georgia/department-511/chapter-511-3/subject-511-3-1/rule-511-3-1-03) 4. [Georgia DPH — How to become a certified installer or pumper](https://dph.georgia.gov/environmental-health/onsite-sewage/how-become-certified-installerpumper) 5. [Homeyou — Septic pumping costs in Lawrenceville, GA (June 2026)](https://www.homeyou.com/ga/septic-pumping-lawrenceville-costs) Emergency line · 24/7 [(470) 299-0510](tel:+14702990510) A dispatcher answers, not a voicemail tree. Price range before the truck rolls. [Call now](tel:+14702990510) Standards we work to - Tank pumped dry before crushing or filling - Closure by crushing or filling with concrete or gravel - Septage hauled to a permitted disposal site - Certified pumper working for a permitted septage company - Dated record of gallons and disposal for your file Upfront pricing ## What tank abandonment _costs_ Published ranges for the Lawrenceville area, so you know what's fair before you call anyone. What changes the price - Tank size and how full it is - How deep the lid is buried - After-hours, weekend or holiday timing - Access for the truck hose (typically 100–150 ft) [Estimate your price in 30 seconds](https://septictankpumpinglawrenceville.com/tools/septic-pumping-cost-estimator/) - County charges, ¾-inch meter conversion $4,147 system development charge plus a $25 septic-to-sewer permit (Gwinnett DWR) $4,172 - Gwinnett plumbing-only permit Charged at 0.6% of the plumber's construction estimate $30 minimum - Tank pump-out before closure Business-hours rate for a 1,000-gallon tank (Homeyou, June 2026) $280–$520 Ranges are typical market prices drawn from the sources listed on this page, not a quote. Your price is confirmed before work starts. Compare ## What your options actually _get you_ What happens to an old tank after a sewer connection. Costs are market ranges, not quotes. Factor Leave it buried Cap it and forget it Pump and close properly County inspection Fails Fails Passes the abandonment inspection What is left in the ground A full tank of septage A full tank with a lid on it An empty crushed or filled void Collapse risk in the yard A buried lid gives way under a mower or a child Same risk with better paperwork None once crushed or filled Effect on a future sale Unclosed tank shows up on inspection Same Documented closure in your file Groundwater Stored septage stays in the ground Same Septage removed to a permitted site What happens to an old tank after a sewer connection. Costs are market ranges, not quotes. Guides ## Read before you book - Cost Guide ### [Septic-to-Sewer Conversion Cost in Gwinnett County (2026)](https://septictankpumpinglawrenceville.com/guide/septic-to-sewer-conversion-cost-gwinnett/) The county's fixed charges, the part your plumber bills, what happens to the old tank, and when Georgia makes connection mandatory. - Learn ### [How to Get Gwinnett County Septic Tank Records](https://septictankpumpinglawrenceville.com/guide/gwinnett-county-septic-records/) A five-minute free lookup that shows where your tank is, how big it is, and how the drain field was laid out. - Learn ### [Septic Repair Permit in Gwinnett County](https://septictankpumpinglawrenceville.com/guide/septic-permit-repair-gwinnett/) Which septic work needs a county permit, which doesn't, and the soil report that now sits in front of all of it. - Cost Guide ### [Septic Tank Pumping Cost in Lawrenceville, GA (2026)](https://septictankpumpinglawrenceville.com/guide/septic-tank-pumping-cost-lawrenceville-ga/) Real 2026 price ranges by tank size, the add-on fees that change the bill, and what a fair quote includes. The process ## How tank abandonment works, _step by step_ 1. 01 ### Confirm the sequence Abandonment happens after the house is connected to sewer and the plumber's cleanout work is inspected. We schedule against the plumber's dates so the second county inspection is not held up. 2. 02 ### Locate and open Lids are uncovered and both compartments opened. County septic records back to 1959 are online, and a plat saves digging time on a lot where nobody has found the lid in decades. 3. 03 ### Pump dry and haul Everything comes out — liquid, sludge and scum — and goes to a permitted receiving site. Nothing is left in a tank that is about to be crushed or filled. 4. 04 ### Crush or fill and backfill The tank is either broken in and crushed, or filled with concrete or gravel, then covered back to grade so there is no void under the yard. Connecting to sewer? Line up the tank closure early. Alcovy Septic pumps and closes the old tank on your plumber's schedule, so the abandonment inspection is never the step that holds up the job. [(470) 299-0510](tel:+14702990510) [Get a free estimate](https://septictankpumpinglawrenceville.com/contact/) FAQ ## Tank Abandonment _questions_ ### Do I have to connect to sewer if it runs past my house? + In Georgia, yes, once it is close enough. Rule 511-3-1-.03 requires connection to public sewer when it is available within 200 feet of the property line, and a failing on-site system with sewer available must be connected immediately. Below that threshold you can keep pumping the tank on a normal schedule. ### What does Gwinnett charge for a septic-to-sewer conversion? + For a three-quarter-inch residential meter the county side is $4,172 — a $4,147 system development charge plus a $25 septic-to-sewer permit — paid at the DWR Central Facility on Winder Highway in Lawrenceville. The plumbing-only permit is separate, at 0.6 percent of the construction estimate with a $30 minimum. The plumber's own price is separate again. ### Can the old tank just be left in the ground? + No. Gwinnett's procedure requires the tank to be either emptied and crushed, or filled with concrete or gravel, and one of the two county inspections covers that step. A buried tank left full is a collapse hazard in the yard and shows up on the next home inspection. ### Is Snellville different? + Yes. The county wrote a separate procedure for properties inside the City of Snellville. The septic-to-sewer permit and the $4,172 in county charges still come from Gwinnett DWR, but the plumbing permit is a $60 City of Snellville permit and the city runs the two inspections rather than the county. ### Do you do the whole conversion? + No. The sewer connection itself is licensed plumbing work — the plumber gives you the estimate, pulls the plumbing permit and ties the house into the cleanout. We do the pump-out and the tank closure step, scheduled to line up with the plumber's inspections. ### Do you give a price before you start? + Yes. You hear a price range on the phone, and the crew confirms the final price once the lid is uncovered and they can see the tank. If anything changes the price, such as a deeper dig or a lid under concrete, they stop and ask before continuing. Keep going ## Related services - ### [Septic Tank Locating & Risers](https://septictankpumpinglawrenceville.com/septic-tank-locating-and-risers/) We find buried lids using Gwinnett records and a probe, then install risers so future pump-outs need no digging. Find my tank - ### [Commercial Septic Pumping](https://septictankpumpinglawrenceville.com/commercial-septic-pumping/) Scheduled pumping for churches, offices, farms and shops on septic, with service records kept for your files. Set up service - ### [Septic Tank Inspection](https://septictankpumpinglawrenceville.com/septic-tank-inspection/) Sludge and scum measured, baffles and filter checked, drain field walked. Written findings for buyers, sellers and lenders. Book an inspection Next step The tank emptied, closed and documented — the last step of a sewer conversion, done properly. Prefer not to call? Send two quick details and a dispatcher will call back within 15 minutes. Get a free septic pumping quote Two quick steps. A local dispatcher will call back within 15 minutes. Faster: call [(470) 299-0510](tel:+14702990510). We never share your details.