A city on the county line
The City of Lula's comprehensive plan describes Lula as straddling the Hall County and Banks County line along the Georgia 365 corridor northeast of Gainesville, the first community you reach heading north from metro Gainesville into the Appalachian foothills. That location decides who handles your septic system. Properties on the Hall side are permitted by Hall County Environmental Health. Properties on the Banks side are permitted by Banks County Environmental Health in Homer. Your tax bill or the county parcel record shows which county your lot is in.
Sewer or septic in Lula
The City of Lula runs a water and wastewater department, with its office at 6055 Main Street and a phone number of 770-869-3801. If your utility bill from the city includes a sewer charge, your home probably drains to the city system and does not need septic pumping. If it does not, you are probably on septic.
The city's 2019 comprehensive plan treats septic as a long-term issue. It lists the diminishing long-term viability of septic systems in a growing region among its needs, reports that an inventory of properties on septic was completed, and lists ongoing sewer expansion work. If you are planning a major repair, ask the city whether sewer is coming to your street. Georgia's rules say a home with a failing system must connect to a public or community sewer if one is available, and for new systems available means within two hundred feet of the property line or in an abutting right-of-way.
Permits on the Hall County side
Hall County Environmental Health applies Georgia's Chapter 511-3-1. Its fee schedule effective January 1, 2024 lists a new residential septic permit at $350 for up to five bedrooms and $450 for six or more, a repair permit at $150, and an existing system evaluation at $150. Hall County says the septic permit must be issued before the building permit for new homes on septic. Our Hall County permit guide walks through the application, and the calculator estimates the fee and minimum tank size.
Permits on the Banks County side
On the Banks side, contact Banks County Environmental Health at 667 Thompson Street, Homer, 706-677-5009. We could not find a published Banks County fee schedule, so ask for current fees. The state rules on sizing, setbacks and inspections are the same in both counties. See septic service in Homer for more on the Banks County office.
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Free Quote RequestNew subdivisions and older lots
The comprehensive plan notes a growing number of residential subdivisions around Lula. Newer homes may be on city sewer or on septic, depending on the development, while older homes near the railroad-era town center and on rural roads are more likely to have older tanks. If you are buying, ask the seller for pump-out reports and any repair permits, then compare them with the county record. Our guide to septic records and home sales lists what to ask for.
Georgia requires drain fields to be at least five feet from property lines, drives and buildings without basements, and ten feet from buildings with basements and water lines. If you have a private well, the tank must be at least fifty feet away and the field at least one hundred. See Georgia septic setbacks.
Routine care that applies everywhere in Georgia
The EPA recommends an inspection at least every three years and says household tanks are typically pumped every three to five years; systems with pumps or float switches generally need an inspection once a year. Georgia's septage standards require a certified pumper to remove the complete contents of the tank, check the inlet and outlet tees, replace any soil they dig, and give you a written report on the tank's condition, with a copy to the county.
Georgia's public health department advises against septic additives, which it says are not beneficial and can harm the system. Spend the money on pumping instead. Our pumping guide explains what to expect on the day.
Before you call a provider
Know which county your lot is in, whether the city bills you for sewer, your bedroom count and your water source. In your Free Quote Request, describe the symptoms and when the tank was last pumped. Ask the provider to file the pump-out report with the right county, since the Hall and Banks offices keep separate records.