Septic permits & records
Putnam County Environmental Health (North Central Health District)
- Address
- 117 Putnam Drive, Suite C, Eatonton, GA 31024
- Phone
- (706) 485-8591
- Hours
- Monday-Friday 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
Eatonton, GA · Putnam County
Septic installation, septic repair and excavation in Eatonton and Putnam County, on the ground between Lake Oconee and Lake Sinclair.
Eatonton, Putnam County. ZIP codes 31024, 31026.
- Lake Oconee & Lake Sinclair
- Residential & commercial
- 10% off: military & first responders
Get a free estimate
or call (678) 863-5620The short answer
Who installs and repairs septic systems around Eatonton, GA?
A Class Septic Services installs and repairs septic tanks, drain fields and aerobic, drip and pump systems around Eatonton, and does the clearing, grading and trenching those lots need. In-town homes mostly drain to EPWSA sewer; lake lots on Lake Oconee and Lake Sinclair are permitted for septic by Putnam County Environmental Health.↗↗
Reviewed by A Class Septic Services · Last updated
The Eatonton story
The county seat with a lake on each side
Eatonton sits at the crossroads of US 441, US 129, GA 16 and GA 44, and every one of those roads ends up at water. Take GA 44 east and you cross the Lick Creek arm of Lake Oconee on the Tom C. Hallman Memorial Bridge, headed for the Greensboro side of the lake. Take US 441 south and the Donald Ridley Bridge carries you over Lake Sinclair toward Milledgeville.↗↗↗
GA 16 east is Sinclair country: it crosses Crooked Creek six miles out and the Oconee River arm of the lake 14 miles out, near the Hancock line, with Oconee Springs Road and the county park in between. GA 212 and Twin Bridges Road reach the lake's northwest end.↗↗↗↗
Putnam's 2022 plan calls those shorelines the county's population hubs outside Eatonton, beyond the sewer authority's reach. Wooded lots falling toward a cove on red clay mean the septic crew has to be a dirt crew too.↗
On the record
- The SR 16 bridge over the Oconee River and Lake Sinclair, 14 miles east of Eatonton, is 1,212.9 feet long and was built in 2008.↗
- Georgia Power's East Georgia Lake Resources Office, which handles Oconee and Sinclair shoreline permits, is at 125 Wallace Dam Road NE in Eatonton, next to Lawrence Shoals Campground at No. 123.↗
Local facts
Eatonton ground and pipe, by the record
Each row links to the agency, code or publisher it comes from. Tap a source to check it yourself.
| Topic | What it says | Source |
|---|---|---|
| West-side wastewater plant | Westside WPCP, 743 Monticello Highway; up to 0.55 MGD to a tributary of the Little River | Georgia EPD Public Notice No. 2017-06 ML (March 15, 2017): NPDES applications |
| Sewer pipe condition | EPWSA reports an undersized influent line to the Westside plant and overloaded lift stations | GEFA Clean Water State Revolving Fund FY2025 Fundable List |
| Housing age | Median year built 1975; 351 of 2,755 units date to 1939 or earlier | Census Reporter: Eatonton, GA (ACS 2024 5-year) |
| Soil at city center | Davidson-Urban land complex, 2 to 10 percent slopes | USDA NRCS Soil Data Access: map unit at Eatonton city center (33.3258, -83.3889) |
| ZIP codes / area | 31024 and 31026; 20.7 square miles, with US 129 and US 441 forming the west boundary | Wikipedia: Eatonton, Georgia |
Sewer or septic?
EPWSA pipe in town, septic at the lake
The city's water and sewer belong to the Eatonton-Putnam Water & Sewer Authority, which runs two plants of up to 0.55 MGD each. Outside its lines, Putnam County Environmental Health permits septic, and that covers most of the Putnam side of Lake Sinclair, from the Oconee Springs area to Twin Bridges.↗
On the Oconee side the answer depends on the neighborhood. Piedmont Water Company says it has sewer in Great Waters, Cuscowilla and along the Highway 44 corridor in north Putnam, mostly low-pressure systems with a grinder pump at each house. Lots between those systems are septic lots.↗
How to tell which one you have
- An EPWSA bill with a sewer charge: authority sewer.
- A Piedmont bill and a grinder-pump alarm panel: low-pressure sewer.
- Neither, plus lids in the yard downhill: septic.
More about Eatonton
Lake rules that shape a Putnam septic layout
Three rule sets stack on a Putnam lake lot: the state keeps a tank 25 feet and a drain field 50 feet from normal water level, Georgia Power adds lines that differ by lake, and the county sets building setbacks.↗
On Lake Oconee, Georgia Power bars mechanical clearing in the 25-foot buffer without written approval. On Lake Sinclair, the system and its repair area must fit on the lot outside the project boundary; if they cannot, the house gets redesigned, not the field.↗↗
Check the county lake setback before drawing a footprint. A June 2024 newspaper account of a commission meeting put it at 65 feet, cut from 100 about four years earlier; confirm the current number with Putnam County Planning and Development at 117 Putnam Drive, Suite B.↗↗
Three rule sets stack on a Putnam lake lot: the state keeps a tank 25 feet and a drain field 50 feet from normal water level, Georgia Power adds lines that differ by lake, and the county sets building setbacks.
Permits · Putnam County Environmental Health, 117 Putnam Drive, Suite C, Eatonton
How a septic permit moves in Putnam County
We schedule the dig around the permit and the inspector's visit.
- 01
If the lot also needs a private well, the well permit comes first; its fee includes a site visit to locate the well.↗
- 02
Apply for the on-site sewage construction or repair permit at the Putnam County Health Department on Putnam Drive. A complete application must be approved or denied within 20 days.↗
- 03
On a Georgia Power lease lot, send the county-approved tank, drain-line and well site plan plus the septic permit to Georgia Power with the building permit.↗
- 04
Install inside the permit's 12-month life, then leave it open for the county's final inspection; nothing gets covered or used before written approval.↗
Georgia rule Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 511-3-1-.07
“less than 50 feet from the normal water level of any impoundment”
Soil & terrain
Red Davidson clay from the courthouse to the coves
Downtown maps as Davidson-Urban land, and Davidson is the biggest soil series in the Baldwin-Jones-Putnam survey: a deep, dark red subsoil that runs 40 to 75 percent clay. It smears if trenched wet, so field lines wait for dry days.↗↗
Toward the lakes, ridges fall hard into coves fed by Crooked Creek, Rooty Creek and the Little River, and a site that will not take a gravity field on contour usually ends up with a pump tank, an aerobic unit or drip lines.↗
Services here
What we build and fix around Eatonton
- 01Septic System InstallationNew homes on Sinclair and Oconee lots outside EPWSA lines.Septic System Installation details
- 02Septic System RepairTanks and lines behind in-town houses (median built 1975) and older Sinclair cottages.Septic System Repair details
- 03Drain Field Installation & RepairReplacement fields that still have to hold 50 feet off the water.Drain Field Installation & Repair details
- 04Septic Pump SystemsLake houses below the only usable field area on the lot.Septic Pump Systems details
- 05Drip Septic SystemsSteep, shallow cove lots where trenches will not fit on contour.Drip Septic Systems details
- 06Land & Lot ClearingWooded lots, cleared around Georgia Power's buffer and Putnam's burn season.Land & Lot Clearing details
- 07Grading & Driveway PreparationLong drives down to the water off GA 16 and GA 44.Grading & Driveway Preparation details
- 08Erosion Control & Land DryingKeeping red clay out of the cove while the lot is open.Erosion Control & Land Drying details
Also available:Sewer Line Builds, Taps & RebuildsWaterlines, Distribution Systems & MainsStorm Shelters & Safe Rooms
Who to call at the county
Who signs off on work in Eatonton
- Eatonton-Putnam Water & Sewer Authority Water and sewer in Eatonton and EPWSA growth areas663 Godfrey Road; connection applications after a county permit and address.↗
- Piedmont Water Company Low-pressure sewer in Great Waters, Cuscowilla and the Hwy 44 corridorGrinder pumps belong to the homeowner.↗
- Georgia Power Lake Resources Office (East Georgia) Shoreline permits and lease-lot reviews for Oconee and Sinclair125 Wallace Dam Road NE, Eatonton; 706-484-7500, by appointment.↗
On the map
Eatonton on the lake map
Eatonton, Putnam County: between Lake Oconee and Lake Sinclair
SourceNearby areas
Lake country around Eatonton
- Great Waters septic & sewerSeptic and grinder-pump work in the Eatonton end of Reynolds.
- Milledgeville septic & sewerLake Sinclair's south shore, 21 miles down US 441.
- Greensboro septic & sewerAcross Lake Oconee on GA 44.
- Cuscowilla septic & sewerOconee golf lots, Eatonton address.
- Twin Bridges septic & sewerSinclair coves off GA 212.
- Sparta septic & sewerSinclair's east shore, past the GA 16 bridge.
FAQ
Eatonton septic questions
Straight answers, with the rule or record behind them. Still unsure? Call and ask the crew that digs.
(678) 863-5620Who issues septic permits in Eatonton and Putnam County?
Putnam County Environmental Health, part of the North Central Health District, at the health department at 117 Putnam Drive, Suite C. The district lists (706) 485-8591; DPH's statewide list shows (706) 484-2914, so call either and confirm.
Source: North Central Health District: Putnam County Environmental Health Department
How far does a drain field have to be from Lake Sinclair or Lake Oconee?
Georgia's rule is 50 feet from the normal water level of any impoundment for the absorption field and 25 feet for the tank. Georgia Power and county setbacks can push the system farther back.
Source: Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. R. 511-3-1-.07, Absorption Fields (LII)
Is Cuscowilla on sewer or septic?
Piedmont Water Company lists Cuscowilla among the communities where it has sewer service, mostly low-pressure systems with a grinder pump at each home. Confirm your lot with Piedmont.
What does it cost to tie a new Eatonton house into EPWSA sewer?
EPWSA's May 2025 schedule lists a 4-inch sewer tap at $2,772 plus a $1,810 system development charge, a full-cost connection of $4,582, which can be financed interest-free over 24 months.
Source: EPWSA Schedule of Rates, Fees, and Penalties (5.16.25, corrected)
Can I burn brush when clearing a lot near Eatonton?
Not from May 1 through September 30: Putnam is on EPD's summer open-burning ban list. Outside those months, land-clearing burns still need a Georgia Forestry Commission permit.
Source: GA EPD press release, Apr. 29, 2026: Annual Ban on Open Burning
Why do so many lots around Eatonton need pump or drip systems?
Georgia's manual bars absorption fields on slopes over 25 percent without a special soil study, and on many lake lots the only usable soil sits uphill of the house. Pump tanks and drip fields solve both problems.
Source: GA DPH Manual for On-Site Sewage Management Systems (March 2026), Section B: General Site Provisions
Guides
Reading for Putnam lake-lot owners
Georgia Power shoreline rules and septicOconee's buffer and Sinclair's lease-lot rule are different; Eatonton sits on both.Read the guide 
Drip vs. conventional septic on a lake lotFor the steep cove lots off GA 16 and GA 44.Read the guide 
Land clearing cost and burn rulesPutnam's summer burn ban changes how a lot gets cleared.Read the guide
Sources
Where these facts come from
Rules, costs and local facts on this page link to the agency, code or publisher that states them. Cost figures are third-party market ranges, not our prices — estimates are free.
Reviewed by A Class Septic Services · Last updated
- 1Joint Comprehensive Plan, Putnam County and the City of Eatonton (adopted October 2022), GA DCA
- 2North Central Health District: Putnam County Environmental Health Department
- 3Wikipedia: Eatonton, Georgia
- 4Wikipedia: Georgia State Route 44
- 5Wikipedia: Georgia State Route 24
- 6BridgeLookup (GDOT/NBI data): SR 16 over Crooked Creek, Putnam County
- 7BridgeLookup (GDOT/NBI data): SR 16 over Oconee River & Lake Sinclair, Putnam County
- 8Explore Georgia: Oconee Springs Park, Eatonton
- 9Visit Milledgeville: Twin Bridges Landing
- 10Georgia Power: East Georgia Lakes (Oconee/Sinclair)
- 11Georgia EPD Public Notice No. 2017-06 ML (March 15, 2017): NPDES applications
- 12GEFA Clean Water State Revolving Fund FY2025 Fundable List
- 13Census Reporter: Eatonton, GA (ACS 2024 5-year)
- 14USDA NRCS Soil Data Access: map unit at Eatonton city center (33.3258, -83.3889)
- 15Piedmont Water Company: Wastewater Services
- 16Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. r. 511-3-1-.03, General Requirements for On-Site Sewage Management Systems (LII)
- 17Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. R. 511-3-1-.07, Absorption Fields (LII)
- 18Georgia Power: Lake Oconee Shoreline Guidelines
- 19Georgia Power: Lake Sinclair Dwellings and Additions guidelines
- 20Eatonton Messenger, July 3, 2024: Putnam BOC changes to setback ordinance
- 21Putnam County, GA: Planning and Development
- 22Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 511-3-1 (On-Site Sewage Management Systems)
- 23USDA NRCS Official Series Description: Davidson series
- 24Wikipedia: Lake Sinclair
- 25EPWSA Schedule of Rates, Fees, and Penalties (5.16.25, corrected)
- 26GA EPD press release, Apr. 29, 2026: Annual Ban on Open Burning
- 27GA DPH Manual for On-Site Sewage Management Systems (March 2026), Section B: General Site Provisions
Ready when you are
Lot off GA 16, cove off GA 44? One crew from clearing to final inspection.
Call A Class Septic Services about a new system, a failing field or the dirt work around it anywhere in Putnam County. Military and first responders get 10% off.
(678) 863-5620- Lake Oconee & Lake Sinclair
- Residential & commercial
- 10% off for military & first responders
Free estimate
or call (678) 863-5620