Acworth, GA Trash & Recycling: Illegal Dumping (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- Acworth Code § 54-92(a)
- Covered locations
- Rights-of-way, lakes/waterways, private property without consent
- Enforcement
- Acworth Police and Code Compliance Division
- Maximum fine
- $1,000.00 under general penalty § 1-11
- Maximum jail term
- Six months, or 60 days of public labor
- Continuing violations
- Each day counted as a separate offense
Summary
Acworth Code § 54-92(a) bans intentionally dumping 'egregious litter' anywhere in the city without a permit, covering public rights-of-way, Lake Acworth, Lake Allatoona and other waterways, and private property lacking the owner's consent. The Acworth Police Department and City Code Compliance Division cite violators, who face Municipal Court penalties under the Code's general penalty section.
(a)It shall be unlawful for any person to intentionally dump egregious litter unless authorized to do so by law or by a duly issued permit, as follows:(1)In or on any public highway, road, street, alley, or thoroughfare, including any portion of the right of way thereof, or on any other public lands except in containers or areas lawfully provided for such dumping.(2)In or on any fresh-water lake, river, canal, or stream; or(3)In or on any private property, unless prior consent of the owner has been given, and unless such dumping will not adversely affect the public health and is not in violation of any other state law, rule, or regulation.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 27).
Full Breakdown
Section 54-92, adopted by Ordinance No. 2024-11 on September 19, 2024, sits in the Litter Control article of Chapter 54 and works alongside Section 54-81's definitions, which spell out illegal dumping as depositing trash in dumpsters you do not own, along roadways, vacant lots, wooded areas or parkland, dumping chemicals or automotive fluids into storm drains or waterways, dumping yard waste over a fence line, burying solid waste, or dropping waste anywhere other than a legally accepted receptacle. Subsection 54-92(a) itself makes it unlawful to intentionally dump egregious litter on any public highway, road, street or right-of-way except in a lawfully provided container, in or on any fresh-water lake, river, canal or stream (a real constraint given Acworth sits on both Lake Acworth and Lake Allatoona), or on private property without the owner's prior consent.
The city separately adopted the Metropolitan North Georgia Water Planning District's Model Litter Control Ordinance under Section 54-91, and the Acworth Police Department and City Code Compliance Division enforce both provisions. 00, imprisonment up to six months, up to 60 days of public labor, or any combination, with each day a violation continues charged as a separate offense.
Violations & Fines
A person who dumps litter on a right-of-way, into Lake Acworth or Lake Allatoona, or on private property without consent can be cited by Acworth Police or Code Compliance and, absent a penalty specific to Section 54-92, is punished under the Code's general penalty at Section 1-11: a fine of up to $1,000.00, up to six months in jail, up to 60 days of city labor, or a combination, with continuing violations charged separately for each day.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is dumping trash on a vacant lot illegal in Acworth?
Can I be fined for dumping into Lake Acworth or Lake Allatoona?
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Sources & Official References
Other rules in Acworth
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