DeKalb County Consent Decree: A Historical Perspective

DeKalb County’s sewer system is one of the largest and oldest in the Southeast United States. The system spans more than 2,600 miles of sewer lines and a large portion of the system is over 50 years old. As the County grows, the maintenance of the sanitary sewer system has become an enormous task. Over time the system experienced sewer spills, for which are prohibited by federal law. 

2024

June

      June 3 - 4 p.m. update - DeKalb Crews Complete Repairs to Water Main in Nichols Lane Area

                   Repairs to a broken six-inch-diameter water main

      June 3 - DeKalb Crews Repairing Broken Water Main on Nichols Lane

Coming Soon

Media inquiries regarding the Consent Decree Program and its associated projects should be directed to:

The DeKalb County Department of Watershed Management is set to begin a comprehensive, multi=phased "Priority Area Sewer Assessment and Rehabilitation Program" (PASARP) to assess and rehabilitate sewer lines throughout the County. This compliance effort is the largest assessment and rehabilitation project the County is required to perform under its Consent Decree Program. Read more...

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Superior Ave Sanitary Sewer Improvements Phase II (ID 14-100403)

The DeKalb County consent decree mandates that the County implement a Fats, Oils, and Grease (FOG) Management Program. The leading cause of the sanitary sewer overflows (SSOs) that prompted the audit of the County’s sanitary sewer system performed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is the buildup of FOG in the sewer system’s pipes.

FOG is composed of animal and vegetable fats and oils used to prepare food.

Clean Water Act – The primary federal law that governs water pollution throughout the United States of America.

What is the total cost of the Consent Decree Program?

It is estimated that the total cost of the Consent Degree Program is $326 million.

Has my water and sewer bills increased to fund the project?

Yes, but not significantly. The rate increase amounts to approximately $7.14 more per month for the average citizen using 5,000 gallons of water monthly.