Financial Assistance for Septic Repairs in Georgia

Sourced from USDA Rural Development Section 504 program documentation, Cobb & Douglas Public Health program pages, Cobb County government, and Golden Triangle RC&D — last checked August 2026.

USDA Section 504 Home Repair Program

The primary federal program covering septic repairs for qualifying homeowners, administered through USDA Rural Development.

Loans: Up to $40,000 at 1% fixed interest over 20 years — far below any commercial financing option.

Grants: Up to $10,000 lifetime ($15,000 in presidentially declared disaster areas) for homeowners age 62 and older. Grants must address a health/safety hazard — a failing septic system qualifies.

Eligibility: Primary residence, USDA-eligible rural area, household income at or below the very low income limit USDA sets for your county income, unable to obtain affordable credit elsewhere.

How to apply in Georgia: Contact GA Rural Development at GA502Applications@usda.gov or (706) 552-2541. An informal prequalification conversation is recommended first.

Cobb County ARPA Programs

Cobb & Douglas Public Health administers an ARPA-funded Low-Income Septic System Pump/Repair Project. Cobb is the only metro Atlanta county with an open septic assistance program.

Up to $500 for tank pumping, based on the actual cost of service.
Up to $15,000 for repairs, including drain-field replacement.
Up to $10,000 to connect to public sewer.

Those are three separate ceilings, not one. Several sites report a single $15,000 figure covering sewer connection too. The sewer cap is lower, and it matters if connection is the route your inspection points to.

The money is paid directly to a certified service provider, so you are not asked to front the cost and claim it back. Two expenses that normally land on the homeowner are also covered: Cobb & Douglas states that “if a soil study isn’t already on file with our department, we will provide the soil report,” and the inspection is part of the Environmental Health Specialist’s visit. In Georgia a Level 3 soil report from a certified classifier is otherwise a required private expense.

The application windows are not the same as the program end date:

• Repairs, up to $15,000 — closed — the deadline was 21 August 2026
• Tank pumping, up to $500 — closed — the deadline was 4 September 2026
• Water-bill credit — open — applications close 22 September 2026
• All work must be completed by 30 September 2026

Who qualifies: gross household income at or below 300% of the Federal Poverty Level — Cobb & Douglas gives a household of four in 2026 as $99,000 or less. Enrollment in SNAP, WIC, TANF or Medicaid also establishes eligibility. Owner-occupied primary residence only; rentals are excluded.

Douglas County residents: this program is closed to you. Cobb & Douglas states that heavy demand exhausted the available funding there, and the eligibility questions now require the home to be located in Cobb County. Douglas ran its own county-funded version from March 26, 2025 to December 31, 2025 and it is finished. Do not assume the Cobb figures apply in Douglas — several pages online still list them as though they do.

Apply: online or by printed form through Cobb & Douglas Public Health, 770-435-7815. Eligible services run from March 26, 2025 through September 30, 2026, or until grant funds are exhausted — the money can run out before the dates do. Fuller detail is on our Cobb County septic permit page.

Southwest Georgia: Golden Triangle RC&D

USDA-funded revolving loan fund for low-income residents in 15 Southwest Georgia counties for well and septic repair/replacement: Baker, Calhoun, Clay, Decatur, Dougherty, Early, Grady, Miller, Mitchell, Randolph, Seminole, Stewart, Terrell, Thomas, and Worth.