The DeKalb County Department of Watershed Management protects the public health, safety and welfare through the provision of safe drinking water and quality wastewater treatment. DeKalb County’s drinking water comes from the Chattahoochee River. The county has a Raw Water Pumping Station in north Fulton County that brings us our water.

DeKalb County has two wastewater treatment facilities:

Pole Bridge Advanced Wastewater Treatment Facility is located in southeast DeKalb County. After treating the water according to state and federal requirements, they discharge it into the South River. Through a process called beneficial reuse methodology, the US Environmental Protection Agency’s preferred method of solids management, solid waste avoids the landfill and is instead reused to benefit the environment.

Snapfinger Creek Advanced Wastewater Treatment Facility, located in southern DeKalb County, is the only authorized septic tank disposal operation in the county. The facility received funds for significant improvements in 2011 as a part of the Capital Improvement Plan, and  meets the requirements of the Clean Water Act. It also monitors, operates, and maintains remote lift stations and metering stations located throughout the DeKalb County sanitary sewer collection system.

DeKalb Water Conservation : Toilet Retrofit Rebate Program 

The Department of Watershed Management offers a Toilet Retrofit Rebate Program to active DeKalb County water customers whose homes were built prior to 1993. This program will assist customers in replacing their old toilets with high efficiency toilets to conserve water and money. Toilets being replaced must have been installed prior to 1993. There is a limit of replacing three (3) toilets per household. The number of toilets per household will be verified through property tax records. Note:  If you have purchased your property within the last 2-3 months, please provide a copy of your settlement statement, HUD statement, or warranty deed as proof of ownership. To qualify for a rebate, each new toilet must be replacing an existing old, large capacity toilet installed prior to 1993.

Rebate Options
There are two rebate options. Rebates are determined by the capacity and the purchase price (before taxes) of the toilet.

Watershed Groups

You can support the health of your watershed by getting involved with a watershed group. Here are some in DeKalb County:

Burnt Fork Watershed Alliance Burnt Fork Creek, located in what is now Mason Mill Park, used to provide all the water for DeKalb County. It now serves as a home to diverse wildlife. The mission of the Burnt Fork Watershed Alliance is to protect and preserve the creek and its green spaces.

South River Watershed Alliance exists to restore the water quality and biodiversity of the South River watershed to benefit both people and wildlife. They host events, including a “Where the Water Goes” series, that educate the community about the watershed and assist in its cleanup.

Peachtree Creek Greenway is a group whose mission is to create a public linear park along the North Fork of Peachtree Creek. They have organized to revitalize the creek and surrounding area, clean up the watershed, and protect North Fork’s natural environment.

South Fork Conservancy was formed by a group of engaged neighbors with the goal of restoring, conserving, and protecting the South Fork of Peachtree Creek, which runs through much of central DeKalb County. Through a planned series of trails, they hope to reconnect area residents with this historic Creek area.

More Resources

• Read more about DeKalb County’s Conservation Efforts
• Georgia Urban Forest Council