Gwinnett Septic Tanks Records Now Available Online

Gwinnett County Officials say water quality in local streams could get better now that old paper records showing the location of septic tanks and drain fields in Gwinnett County have gone electronic. Most homes without sewer service use a septic system. 

According to a press release, Gwinnett’s Water Resources and the East Metro Health District, which also serves Rockdale and Newton counties, worked together to digitize hundreds of thousands of records and added them to Gwinnett’s Geographic Information Systems (GIS) database. Free public access to the records is available at www.gwinnettcounty.com by clicking on GIS.

The new system is expected to help homeowners locate septic systems on their property. Officials said this would then enable homeowners to maintain the systems in accordance with legal requirements. It will also, however, enable the Stormwater Management officials to identify just which system is responsible for the pollution when fecal coliform bacteria appears in local waterways. According to officials, it is often ailing septic tanks that are the source of contamination when local waterways fail to meet state water-quality standards. 

“I’m so pleased that our staff has found a way to build greater efficiency despite tight budgets and scarce resources," said Gwinnett County Commission Chairman Charlotte Nash. "This cooperation between agencies shows how we work together and benefit the public we all serve.”

“We’re celebrating the end of an arduous process that now allows us to work more efficiently,” said Lynn Smarr, acting Water Resources director.