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A new concrete septic tank lowered by a boom truck into a red clay excavation beside a new-construction home.

Septic System Installation · Gray, GA

New septic system installation for homes in and around Gray, Georgia, permitted through Jones County Environmental Health.

Gray, Jones County. ZIP code 31032.
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The short answer

Who permits and installs a new septic system in Gray, GA?

In Gray and the rest of Jones County, a new septic system starts with a construction permit from Jones County Environmental Health at 114 Forest Street, part of the North Central Health District. A Class Septic Services installs the tank and drain field to that permit, then the county inspects before anything is backfilled.↗↗

Reviewed by A Class Septic Services · Last updated

At a glance

County
Jones County
ZIP codes
31032
Sewer
City of Gray Water/Sewer Department (Wolf Creek WPCP, NPDES GA0026085)
Water
City of Gray (PWSID GA1690000)
Population
3,436 (2020 Census)

Sewer or septic?

Will a new house in Gray tie into sewer or need its own tank?

The City of Gray sells water across a wide area, more than 3,300 customers including parts of unincorporated Jones County, but it describes its sewer as reaching city residents only 'to a limited extent.'↗

The county system tells the same story at a larger scale. Jones County Water Systems runs over 200 miles of water main and only about 60 miles of sewer pipe, so most rural parcels between Gray, Haddock, Round Oak and Bradley are septic ground.↗

A $9 million state loan in 2021 paid to double the Wolf Creek plant from 0.4 to 0.8 million gallons per day.↗

How to tell which one you have

  • Ask the City of Gray Water/Sewer Department at 109 James Street whether a sewer main runs along your frontage.
  • If both neighbors have septic lids in the yard, you likely will too.

Permits · Jones County Environmental Health, North Central Health District (114 Forest Street, Gray; (478) 986-3164)

The order things happen on a Jones County install

Plenty of lots around Gray get a private well as well as a tank, and that changes the order of the paperwork.
  1. 01

    Well first. If the home will be on a private well, the Jones office wants the well permit applied for before the septic; that application includes a site evaluation to place the well.↗

  2. 02

    Septic construction permit. Nobody may start developing a lot that will use septic, or set any part of the system, until the county health department issues it. The county must rule on a complete application within 20 days.↗

  3. 03

    Tank sizing to the bedroom count: 1,000 gallons covers one to four bedrooms, plus 250 gallons for each bedroom past four, and the tank must be two-compartment with an effluent filter on the outlet.↗

  4. 04

    Install inside the permit's life. A Georgia construction permit is good for no more than 12 months.↗

  5. 05

    Final inspection with the trenches and tank still open. Only after written approval does the system get covered and put into use.↗

Georgia rule Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 511-3-1-.03

“No person may backfill or use an on-site sewage management system until a final inspection has been made”
Read the rule

Soil & terrain

Davidson loam and the ridge Gray sits on

Gray sits right on a divide. Walnut Creek's tributaries carry the west side of town toward the Ocmulgee River, and Commissioner Creek's carry the east side toward the Oconee.↗

The soil mapped at the center of town is Davidson loam on 2 to 6 percent slopes, moderately eroded, which NRCS rates somewhat limited for septic absorption fields. It usually takes a field, but the soil report and perc rate set the trench length.↗↗

Lot size matters too. Under the state manual, a lot under 3 acres can take a conventional field only where the soil percs at 90 minutes per inch or faster; on 3 acres or more the limit stretches to 120.↗

  1. Davidson loam, 2-6% slopes, moderately eroded↗

    Mapped at Gray's center; somewhat limited for absorption fields.

  2. Davidson series↗

    Very deep, well drained, dark red clay subsoil weathered from dark-colored rock.

  3. Soil series · USDA NRCS

The Gray story

Who is building around Gray

Gray's housing is young for a county seat, and new construction on the outskirts keeps the pattern: a single-family house, a long driveway, and a tank and field in the side or back yard.↗

We handle the whole sequence: setting the tank, cutting trenches on contour, running the solid line from the house and leaving it open for the county. Clearing and a driveway cut can be the same crew.

  • Gray's median home dates to 1997, and single-family detached houses make up 1,259 of its 1,532 housing units (ACS 2020-2024).↗
  • Jones County Environmental Health asks for the well permit before the septic permit when a private well is planned.↗
  • Gray's Wolf Creek Water Pollution Control Plant was expanded from 0.4 to 0.8 million gallons per day with a $9 million, 30-year state loan at 1.86 percent.↗

Gray's housing is young for a county seat, and new construction on the outskirts keeps the pattern: a single-family house, a long driveway, and a tank and field in the side or back yard.

What it costs

What a new septic system costs, before the site speaks up

These are national figures, not our prices. North Central Health District does not post a Jones County septic fee sheet online, so call the Forest Street office for the current permit fee.

What moves the price

These are third-party typical market ranges, not our prices. Every job is quoted after we see it — estimates are free.

Free estimate: (678) 863-5620
  1. 01Bedroom count, which sets the tank size
  2. 02The perc rate in the Davidson clay subsoil
  3. 03Whether the lot is above or below 3 acres
  4. 04Well placement, which pushes the field 100 feet away
  5. 05Trees, stumps and slope between the house and the field

Services here

Other work that tends to come with a Gray install

Also available:Waterlines, Distribution Systems & MainsTrenching, Utility Trenches & Backfilling

Nearby areas

New septic systems near Gray

FAQ

Gray septic installation questions

Straight answers, with the rule or record behind them. Still unsure? Call and ask the crew that digs.

(678) 863-5620

Where do I apply for a septic permit for a lot near Gray?

Jones County Environmental Health, in the health department building at 114 Forest Street, Gray. The phone is (478) 986-3164, and the office is open weekdays 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Source: North Central Health District: Jones County Environmental Health Department

I am drilling a well too. Which permit comes first?

The well. Jones County asks for the well permit application first, and its site evaluation places the well before the septic layout is drawn around it.

Source: North Central Health District: Jones County Environmental Health Department

Can I build in Gray without septic if city water is on my road?

Water is not sewer. Gray provides sewer only to a limited extent, so a city water account often still means a septic tank. If a sewer line is within 200 feet of your property, state rule requires connecting to it.

Source: City of Gray, GA: Water/Sewer Department

How big a septic tank does a four-bedroom house in Jones County need?

At least 1,000 gallons, two-compartment, with an effluent filter. A five-bedroom house needs 1,250 gallons, and a garbage disposal raises the size by half.

Source: Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. r. 511-3-1-.05, Septic Tanks (LII)

How long is a Jones County septic permit good for?

No more than 12 months under Georgia's on-site sewage rules, and the county must approve or deny a complete application within 20 days.

Source: Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. r. 511-3-1-.03, General Requirements for On-Site Sewage Management Systems (LII)

Does the soil around Gray take a septic field?

Usually, with design. The Davidson loam mapped at the center of town is rated somewhat limited for absorption fields, so the soil report and perc rate decide the trench length.

Source: USDA NRCS Soil Data Access: map unit at Gray's Census centroid (33.0020, -83.5409)

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

  1. 1North Central Health District: Jones County Environmental Health Department
  2. 2Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. r. 511-3-1-.03, General Requirements for On-Site Sewage Management Systems (LII)
  3. 3City of Gray, GA: Water/Sewer Department
  4. 4Jones County, GA: Jones County Water Systems
  5. 5WaterWorld: Georgia provides $39 million in water loans (Aug. 27, 2021)
  6. 6Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. r. 511-3-1-.05, Septic Tanks (LII)
  7. 7Wikipedia: Gray, Georgia
  8. 8USDA NRCS Soil Data Access: map unit at Gray's Census centroid (33.0020, -83.5409)
  9. 9USDA NRCS Official Series Description: Davidson series
  10. 10GA DPH Manual for On-Site Sewage Management Systems (March 2026), Section F: Dispersal Systems
  11. 11Census Reporter: Gray, GA (ACS 2024 5-year)
  12. 12HomeAdvisor: Septic System Installation Cost (updated Jun 20, 2026)

Ready when you are

Building outside Gray's sewer lines? Start the septic plan early.

Send the lot location and bedroom count. We will walk the ground, fit the well, house, tank and field, and schedule around the Jones County permit. Military and first responder households get 10% off.

(678) 863-5620

Free estimate

or call (678) 863-5620

Property type
What do you need?
Rather talk? (678) 863-5620
Where's the property?
Is it a lake lot? (optional)
Who should we call?

By submitting, you agree we may call or text you about this request. Privacy.

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