State guide
Georgia
Georgia’s drinking-water program is run by the Environmental Protection Division of the Department of Natural Resources. Georgia EPD’s drinking-water page now includes lead-and-copper service line inventory resources and a public transparency dashboard, while large local utilities often say the county or city owns the line to the meter and the owner maintains everything after the meter.
Checked against official sources on October 4, 2026. Rules and links change; confirm with the office listed before you act.
Try a ZIP like 30303, “Travis County” or “Columbus, OH”
- Who usually owns the water service line
- Georgia does not appear to use one statewide homeowner-versus-utility ownership rule on the pages reviewed; local official pages commonly place utility responsibility from the main to the meter and owner responsibility after the meter.
- State drinking water program
- Georgia Environmental Protection Division, Watershed Protection Branch, Drinking Water Program
- State lead service line page
- Official page →
- Permits for repair or replacement
- Georgia EPD’s drinking-water page includes state permitting contacts for public drinking water projects, but I did not find a statewide page setting homeowner private-side repair permits; local utility and local permit rules govern the examples found.
- Assistance programs
- Georgia has state DWSRF financing for inventory and replacement projects through GEFA; local utility help found includes leak adjustments and, in Savannah, an optional service-line warranty offering rather than a state homeowner grant.
Official resources in Georgia
Georgia EPD Drinking Water Program
Official state drinking water page with lead-and-copper inventory resources, dashboard access, and permitting contacts.
Georgia Rules for Safe Drinking Water
Georgia rule publication page for safe drinking water requirements, including lead service line replacement provisions.
Georgia Environmental Finance Authority Lead Service Line Replacement Program
Official financing page for lead service line inventory and replacement projects under Georgia’s DWSRF program.
Georgia EPD Contact Us
Official EPD contacts and offices page for state program help.
Key facts for Georgia
- Georgia EPD’s drinking-water page includes a Service Line Inventory Public Transparency Dashboard.
- Georgia guidance says all community and non-transient non-community systems had to submit a comprehensive service line inventory by October 16, 2024.
- Georgia guidance says systems serving more than 50,000 people must make their inventory available online.
- Georgia’s Safe Drinking Water rules include lead service line replacement requirements for systems that exceed the lead action level after required treatment steps.
- Gwinnett says it is responsible for the pipe connecting the water main to the meter and for the water meter itself.
- Augusta says it installs, owns, and maintains water service lines from the main to, and including, the meter.
Utility water service line rules in Georgia
| Utility | city | phone | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gwinnett County Department of Water Resources Resident Responsibility Gwinnett | Not published* | Not published* | States everything on the customer side of the water meter is the property owner’s responsibility to maintain, repair, or replace. |
| Gwinnett County Department of Water Resources Customer Care FAQs Gwinnett | Not published* | 678.376.6800 | Explains repairs on the customer side of the meter are the customer’s responsibility and describes leak-adjustment availability. |
| Gwinnett County Department of Water Resources Report a Problem Gwinnett | Not published* | 678.376.7000 | Emergency dispatch page for meter-box or street leaks and outages; also explains leaks between meter and house are private responsibility. |
| Augusta Utilities Ownership & Billing Adjustments Richmond | Augusta | (706) 821-1851 | States Augusta Utilities owns and maintains lines from the main to and including the meter, while customer lines from the meter to the premises are the customer’s. |
| Augusta Utilities Adjustments Due to Leaks Richmond | Augusta | 706-821-1851 | Explains leak-bill adjustments and requires plumber certification or alternate proof before a private-line adjustment is made. |
| City of Savannah Service Line Warranty Program Chatham | Savannah | Not published* | States the exterior water service line from the property boundary or well-casing wall to the water meter or main shut-off valve inside the home is the owner’s responsibility. |
| City of Savannah Help to Our Community Chatham | Savannah | (912) 651-6460 | Utility discount program for qualifying low-income seniors and disabled residents. |
| City of Savannah Utility Services Contact Us Chatham | Savannah | (912) 651-6460 | Official customer service contact page for utility billing and support. |
* Not published: the official page doesn't list it. Call the office to confirm before you rely on it.
What to do next
- Check the Georgia EPD drinking-water page first for the dashboard and customer-notification guidance, then confirm the ownership break on your city or county utility page.
- If you have a leak after the meter, ask your utility whether a billing adjustment is available and what repair proof is required.
- If your property is in a large Georgia utility, look for the utility’s resident-responsibility or lead-service-line page before hiring a plumber.
Not seeing your utility or county?
We list a utility only when an official government page publishes its rules. If yours isn't in the table above, it may not publish them online yet. Here's what to use instead, in order:
- General Start with the statewide information above. It applies across Georgia, but cities and counties can add their own steps, fees or deadlines.
- Closest verified Nearest places where we have verified local data outside this state (distance from Georgia's population center, for comparison only):
- Greenville Water Customer Service Department, South Carolina · about 132 miles
- ADEM Drinking Water Branch, Alabama · about 156 miles
- South Carolina Department of Environmental Services, South Carolina · about 177 miles
- Call to confirm Ask the official office. They have the current local rule, fee and form.Georgia EPD Drinking Water Program
Website →Phone: (470) 524-0526 (as listed on that page, checked Oct 4, 2026)Your city or county office: Local governments →Not sure who handles it locally? USAGov's free help line, 1-844-872-4681, or the Georgia page on USA.gov can point you to the right office. - Know the current info? Tell us and include a link to the official page. We check every tip before it goes up.
Helpful guides
- Who is responsible for the water line to your house?
- The curb stop, meter and property line, explained
- Water line leak in your yard: what to do
- Water service line replacement costs
Water line responsibility check →
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