Home › By item › Water heater › Augusta
A public resource guide
Free water heater removal in Augusta, GA
Every free and paid way to get rid of a water heater in Augusta, verified October 2026.
Checked against Augusta Environmental Services
Home › By item › Water heater › Augusta
A public resource guide
Every free and paid way to get rid of a water heater in Augusta, verified October 2026.
Checked against Augusta Environmental Services
Weekly
bulk waste collected on your regular day, no appointment
10 cu yd
per week, one 5 by 5 by 10 foot pile, hand-loadable
Deans Bridge
Augusta Landfill, 4330 Deans Bridge Rd, takes TVs, mattresses, appliances, and residential tires
Every route for a water heater in Augusta, checked in October 2026 against the city’s current rules and the drop-off sites named. The full Augusta guide covers every other item.
Here is how each route works in Augusta, starting with the city program and ending with paid pickup.
Augusta weekly bulk waste collection: water heaters
FreeA drained water heater is a bulk appliance.
Who qualifies: Residential customers of Augusta Environmental Services (Richmond County), including unoccupied locations and vacant lots. Fees are part of the annual solid waste bill.
How to schedule: No appointment. Compliant bulk waste is collected every week by your hauler on the same day as garbage, recycling, and yard waste. Keep it in its own pile, separate from garbage, yard waste, and tires.
Limits: Up to 10 cubic yards (one 5 by 5 by 10 foot pile) per week. Items must be hand-loadable. Out-of-compliance piles are left, or removed by the city for an extra charge.
Set-out: At the curb by 6 a.m. on your collection day, in a separate pile from garbage and yard waste, clear of carts and obstructions. Remove doors from older appliances with locking mechanisms.
Freemoval (free pickups through partner organizations)
FreeFreemoval funds free junk removal and cleanouts for households referred by trusted partner organizations, such as nonprofits, housing programs, and senior services. Families don’t apply directly. A partner submits the request and vouches for the need.
Status in Augusta: Not yet available. Freemoval currently serves metro Atlanta and plans to expand nationwide.
How it works where it operates: One free pickup per household, covering water heaters, furniture, appliances, and bulk household items within standard LoadUp marketplace service. Funded by LoadUp customer round-ups and direct contributions, spent at standard LoadUp rates.
If you run a nonprofit or housing program in Augusta: you can start the conversation now through the For partners page.
Augusta-Richmond County collects bulk items as part of standard weekly curbside garbage service, with no separate appointment or fee. Bulk piles up to 10 cubic yards go on the same day as your regular trash. As of August 1, 2025, Coastal Waste & Recycling holds the consolidated city contract for the entire service area, replacing a split arrangement that previously covered only half the city. Curbside recycling launched January 1, 2026 as an opt-in program: residents must enroll directly with Coastal at coastalwasteinc.com or call (706) 790-4117 to receive a recycling cart. Tires were dropped from curbside collection; free tire recycling events handle them now.
The Augusta rule for water heaters: A drained water heater is a bulk appliance.
Program basics: Up to 10 cubic yards (one 5 by 5 by 10 foot pile) per week. Items must be hand-loadable. Out-of-compliance piles are left, or removed by the city for an extra charge. At the curb by 6 a.m. on your collection day, in a separate pile from garbage and yard waste, clear of carts and obstructions. Remove doors from older appliances with locking mechanisms.
What the city will not take: Garbage, yard waste, hazardous substances, tires (free at Tire Recycling events; the Deans Bridge Road landfill also takes residential tires), construction and demolition debris, and automotive repair waste. Electronics are not curbside bulk; the landfill accepts televisions.
How we checked this. The rules on this page were verified in October 2026 against: Augusta Environmental Services: Bulk Waste Collection, Augusta Environmental Services: Landfill Division (accepted waste), Augusta Environmental Services: Yard Waste Collection. Programs change; confirm fees and limits before you go.
Hazardous and regulated components in Augusta. Hazardous household materials cannot go in any Augusta curbside cart. Augusta-Richmond County runs bi-annual HHW events; auto parts stores and retailers handle routine items year-round.
Why water heaters are different from ordinary bulk. The weight problem is entirely water. People try to tip a tank that has not fully drained and discover that 30 remaining gallons weigh 250 pounds. Sediment at the bottom can also clog the drain valve, leaving the tank heavier than it looks. Flushing with the cold supply on for a minute often clears it.
Three mistakes that get water heaters left at the curb:
Paid options come into play for basement tanks with difficult stairs, heat pump units, and situations where no replacement is being installed.
Self-haul to a transfer station or scrap yard
Free to $15A drained tank lies flat in a pickup bed or a large SUV. Scrap yards take them free; transfer stations may charge a small bulky item fee.
Strap it down. An empty tank rolls.
LoadUp paid water heater pickup
$80+For households not eligible for free programs, LoadUp connects you with independent loaders in the Augusta area. Upfront pricing, same-week scheduling, and licensed disposal handled for you.
What’s included: Loading, hauling, and licensed disposal of your water heater. No prep needed beyond pointing out what goes.
Pricing: Starts around $80 for a single item; full-truck pickups range from $300 to $600 depending on volume.
If you can pay for a pickup, your booking helps fund free pickups for someone else. Every paid LoadUp customer can opt in to round up at checkout, and 100% of round-ups go directly to Freemoval’s subsidized jobs.
Book water heater pickup in Augusta with LoadUp → Round-up option appears at checkout. Optional, opt-in only.
Rules change at city limits. If you are outside Augusta proper, start with the guide for your own city:
Related guides: the complete Augusta junk removal guide (every item type, city services, hazardous waste, and how to report dumping) and the national water heater disposal guide with rules for all 117 cities we cover.
Other free removal guides for Augusta: mattress, couch, refrigerator, washer and dryer, furniture, tv and electronics, dresser, bed frame and box spring.
Does Augusta pick up water heaters for free?
Yes, drained, weekly.
How much does paid water heater removal cost in Augusta?
Through the LoadUp marketplace, a single water heater pickup in Augusta starts around $80 to $100 with upfront pricing, and full-truck loads run $300 to $600 depending on volume. For households not eligible for free programs, LoadUp connects you with independent loaders in the Augusta area. Upfront pricing, same-week scheduling, and licensed disposal handled for you.
How do I drain a water heater before disposal?
Turn off the gas or the breaker and shut the cold water supply. Connect a garden hose to the drain valve and run it to a floor drain or outside. Open a hot tap upstairs and the T&P valve to let air in. When the flow stops, open the cold supply briefly to flush sediment, then close it and let the tank finish draining. Expect 20 to 40 minutes for a 50 gallon tank.
Can a water heater go out with bulk trash?
In most cities, yes, as long as it is drained. Some cities treat it as an appliance with its own appointment. Check the local rule in the directory below.
Will a scrap yard pay for an old water heater?
Usually a few dollars for the steel, more for a tankless unit with a copper heat exchanger. Most yards require the tank to be fully drained and some ask that the drain valve be removed.
Is there anything hazardous in a water heater?
Standard gas and electric tanks contain no refrigerant or regulated materials. Heat pump water heaters contain refrigerant in the compressor and must be handled like a refrigerator. The glass lining and the magnesium or aluminum anode rod are inert.
Is this Augusta page maintained?
Yes. Freemoval maintains this page as a public resource alongside the full Augusta guide. We update it when programs change rules, fees, or contact methods. Last updated October 2026. If you find outdated information, let us know.