Fulton County, GA Water Use Rules: Recycled Water Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Applies to
- New in-bay and conveyor car washes
- Trigger date
- Permitted/built after Sept. 4, 2013
- Exempt
- Self-service car washes
- Exempt
- Facilities permitted before Sept. 4, 2013
- Max penalty
- $1,000 fine or 60 days jail
- Geographic scope
- Unincorporated Fulton County only
Summary
In unincorporated Fulton County, every new in-bay automatic or conveyor commercial car wash permitted and built after September 4, 2013 must install an operational recycled water system. The mandate targets water conservation and protecting drinking-water supplies; self-service car washes and pre-2013 facilities are exempt.
Sec. 14-118. - General provisions. (b)Applicability.(1)This division applies to all new in-bay automatic car washes and conveyor commercial car washes permitted and constructed after September 4, 2013.(2)The provisions of this division do not apply to in-bay car washes and conveyor commercial car washes that were permitted or constructed before September 4, 2013.(3)The provisions of this division do not apply to self-service car washes. Sec. 14-119. - Commercial car wash water recycling requirement. All new in-bay automatic car washes and conveyor car washes permitted and constructed after September 4, 2013 must install operational recycled water systems.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 57).
Full Breakdown
Fulton County Code Division 3 of Chapter 14 (Sec. 14-116 through 14-119) requires new commercial car washes in the unincorporated county to recycle wash water. ' Section 14-117 defines a conveyor car wash as one where the car moves on a conveyor belt while the driver may stay in or wait outside the vehicle, and an in-bay automatic car wash as one where the driver parks and a machine moves back and forth over a stationary vehicle. A 'recycled water system' is defined as any water system that captures and reuses water previously used in wash or rinse cycles, regardless of source.
Section 14-118 sets applicability: the division binds only in-bay and conveyor car washes permitted or constructed after September 4, 2013; facilities permitted or built before that date are grandfathered, and self-service car washes, where customers wash their own vehicles with wands and brushes, are excluded entirely. ' Because this division carries no dedicated penalty clause, enforcement falls under the general Chapter 14 penalty at Sec. 14-1, which makes any violation of the chapter a misdemeanor. This rule reaches only unincorporated Fulton County; a car wash built inside Atlanta, Sandy Springs, Johns Creek, Milton, South Fulton or any other Fulton municipality is governed by that city's own building and water code, not this county division.
Violations & Fines
A violation of this division is a misdemeanor under the Chapter 14 general penalty, Sec. 14-1: a fine of up to $1,000.00 per violation, imprisonment in the Fulton County Jail for up to 60 days, or both. Each day the violation continues is a separate offense, and the Fulton County Magistrate Court and State Court both have jurisdiction to try the case.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does this recycling rule apply to a car wash in Atlanta or Sandy Springs?
Does an older car wash have to retrofit a recycled water system?
Are self-service car washes covered?
What happens if a covered car wash never installs the required system?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Fulton County
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