American Rescue Plan Act grant funds have been made available to assist low-income Douglas and Cobb County homeowners by covering 100% of the one-time cost for a septic system repair or connecting to the public sewer system up to a cap of $15,000/resident. A single resident would only be eligible for the subsidy for one property, regardless of the cost or how many properties the resident owns. A typical septic field line replacement/repair for a 3-bedroom home costs ~ $5,000, though complicating factors such as poor soils and high water tables can double or triple that cost. Costs are also comparable for a public sewer connection, due to the cost of rerouting residential plumbing to a sewer access point and the associated tap fee.
Additionally, this project will fund the one-time pumping of existing septic tanks, which for an average home costs ~$500. For 100 eligible, low-income homeowners, the cost of this service would be fully covered up to a maximum of $500/resident.
For this project, the participating properties must be owner-occupied and the septic pumper/contractor/plumber must submit a bid to participate in the program and be a Douglas or Cobb County-based business or one that primarily serves Douglas or Cobb County and is in good standing with Cobb & Douglas Public Health, the County Water and Sewer Authorities, the Georgia Department of Public Health, the Georgia Secretary of State’s Office, the Georgia Consumer Protection Division, and the Better Business Bureau.
Funding for this project will come from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) and will conclude when grant funds have been exhausted or the award has expired, whichever occurs first.
For Douglas County residents, the award expiration is December 31, 2025.
For Cobb County residents, the award expiration is September 30, 2026.
This project is subject to County-specific eligibility criteria and will assist eligible, low-income Cobb and Douglas homeowners with the following:
- Routine septic tank pumping service for a non-failing septic system not to exceed $500.00
- Repair of a failing system or connecting a failing septic system to public sewer, where available, not to exceed $15,000.00
The selected contractor(s) must be based in or primarily serve Cobb or Douglas County and will be required to provide proof of meeting Septic Tank Installer and/or Pumper Certification Requirements as set forth by the State of Georgia. (See BID FORM for additional information.)
