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Three parallel drain field trenches of washed gravel and white pipe cut into red clay in a pine woods lot, a compact track loader behind.

Drain Field Installation & Repair · Great Waters Reynolds

Drain field repair, replacement and new installation for homes in Great Waters at Reynolds Lake Oconee, Putnam County.

Great Waters at Reynolds Lake Oconee, on Lake Oconee · Putnam County. ZIP code 31024.
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The short answer

What does fixing or replacing a drain field in Great Waters involve?

In Great Waters the field repair goes through Putnam County Environmental Health. The new lines must sit at least 50 feet from Lake Oconee's normal water level, clear of drives and patios, and in soil the county approves. A Class Septic digs only in dry weather, lays the trenches to the permit, and keeps roof water off the finished field.↗↗↗

Reviewed by A Class Septic Services · Last updated

At a glance

Lake
Lake Oconee
County
Putnam County
ZIP codes
31024
Sewer
Piedmont Water Company (where tapped); individual septic tanks on many homes
Water
Piedmont Water Company, separate Great Waters system (community wells)

Local facts

Field-relevant facts for Great Waters

Each row links to the agency, code or publisher it comes from. Tap a source to check it yourself.

Soil, lot size and water-supply details that decide where a Great Waters field can go.
TopicWhat it saysSource
Soil at the section's centerCecil sandy loam, 2-6% slopes, moderately eroded; NRCS rates it somewhat limited for septic fieldsUSDA NRCS Soil Data Access (SSURGO GA604 Baldwin, Jones and Putnam): map unit and septic absorption rating at 33.3899, -83.2422
Typical lot sizes in listingsAbout half an acre on Pine Bloom Way to 0.87 acre on Reynolds DriveMLS listing: Reynolds Dr home, Eatonton GA 31024 (RP - Great Waters)
Perc limit on lots that smallOn lots under 3 acres, Georgia's maximum percolation rate is 90 minutes per inchGA DPH Manual for On-Site Sewage Management Systems (March 2026), Section F: Dispersal Systems
Water supplyPiedmont runs Great Waters as its own water system, separate from the Reynolds system in GreeneMadison/Morgan & Greene Record: New Piedmont Water treatment plant goes online (Sept 7, 2022)
Setbacks for the field50 ft from the lake's normal water level, 100 ft from wells, 10 ft from water linesGa. Comp. R. & Regs. r. 511-3-1-.07, Absorption Fields (LII)

The Great Waters Reynolds story

Old fields on short lots by the water

Great Waters is the Reynolds section that hugs the main lake, built out around a Nicklaus course that opened in 1992 with nine holes on the shoreline. Homes from that first wave are now old enough that their original fields are the part most likely to be failing, and the lots are not large: listings run from about half an acre to under nine-tenths.↗↗

On a lot that size, the hard part of a replacement is finding the room. The field has to stay 50 feet off the lake, 100 feet from a well, and five feet from property lines, drives and hardscape. Georgia also expects enough open ground for a complete replacement field. Where the original trenches were laid on 16-foot centers, the new ones can go in between them.↗↗

The ground itself is kind by lake standards. At the mapped center of Great Waters the survey shows Cecil sandy loam on gentle 2 to 6 percent slopes. The clay below it is slow, so trenches run long, and the lots that drop off to the water are steeper than that center point.↗

Great Waters is the Reynolds section that hugs the main lake, built out around a Nicklaus course that opened in 1992 with nine holes on the shoreline.

More about Great Waters Reynolds

How the new trenches go in

The state manual sets the build: trenches no wider than 36 inches, laterals at least seven feet apart center to center, a foot of aggregate with six inches under the pipe, and six to twelve inches of earth on top. Nothing but solid schedule 40 pipe may sit under a building, pavement or parking.↗

Timing matters in red clay. The manual forbids digging absorption trenches in wet soils other than sand, because the trench walls smear and compact for good. After a rainy stretch, the right move is to wait.↗

Then protect it. Fields must be kept from surface water and gutter discharge, so downspouts that once dumped onto the old field get rerouted. On the lake side, nothing about the repair may disturb Georgia Power's 25-foot buffer without its written approval.↗↗

The state manual sets the build: trenches no wider than 36 inches, laterals at least seven feet apart center to center, a foot of aggregate with six inches under the pipe, and six to twelve inches of earth on top.

What it costs

Reference costs

HomeAdvisor's 2026 national figures. Field work on a finished, landscaped lake lot varies widely.

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. 01Whether replacement lines fit between the old ones or need new ground
  2. 02Hardscape, irrigation and plantings to lift and restore
  3. 03Whether a pump is needed to reach the only usable soil

FAQ

Great Waters drain field questions

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

(678) 863-5620

How close to Lake Oconee can a replacement field go in Great Waters?

No closer than 50 feet from the lake's normal water level, the same distance the state applies to any stream or impoundment.

Source: Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. r. 511-3-1-.07, Absorption Fields (LII)

Can the new field go under my driveway or terrace?

No. Only solid schedule 40 pipe may pass under buildings or pavement, and no part of the field can carry parking or traffic.

Source: GA DPH Manual for On-Site Sewage Management Systems (March 2026), Section F: Dispersal Systems

Do I have to dig up the whole old field?

Often not. If the originals were spaced on 16-foot centers, Georgia's manual allows replacement trenches between them.

Source: GA DPH Manual for On-Site Sewage Management Systems (March 2026), Section F: Dispersal Systems

Why won't you dig the field the week after a storm?

The state manual bars trenching wet clay soils because it smears and compacts the trench walls permanently, which shortens the life of the new field.

Source: GA DPH Manual for On-Site Sewage Management Systems (March 2026), Section F: Dispersal Systems

Is the soil in Great Waters good for a drain field?

Fair. The survey's center point is Cecil sandy loam on 2 to 6 percent slopes, rated somewhat limited because water moves slowly through it.

Source: USDA NRCS Soil Data Access (SSURGO GA604 Baldwin, Jones and Putnam): map unit and septic absorption rating at 33.3899, -83.2422

My downspouts empty onto the field. Does that matter?

Yes. Georgia's manual requires absorption fields to be protected from stormwater and gutter discharge, so roof water should be piped or graded around the lines, never across them.

Source: GA DPH Manual for On-Site Sewage Management Systems (March 2026), Section F: Dispersal Systems

Who approves the field repair?

Putnam County Environmental Health at 117 Putnam Drive, Suite C, in Eatonton. Great Waters is on the Putnam side of Reynolds.

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

Nearby areas

Drain field work around Great Waters

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: Putnam County Environmental Health Department
  2. 2Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. r. 511-3-1-.07, Absorption Fields (LII)
  3. 3GA DPH Manual for On-Site Sewage Management Systems (March 2026), Section F: Dispersal Systems
  4. 4USDA NRCS Soil Data Access (SSURGO GA604 Baldwin, Jones and Putnam): map unit and septic absorption rating at 33.3899, -83.2422
  5. 5MLS listing: Reynolds Dr home, Eatonton GA 31024 (RP - Great Waters)
  6. 6Madison/Morgan & Greene Record: New Piedmont Water treatment plant goes online (Sept 7, 2022)
  7. 7Explore Georgia: Greene County visitor brochure (golf and lodging)
  8. 8MLS listing: Pine Bloom Way home, Eatonton GA (RP - Great Waters)
  9. 9Georgia Power: Lake Oconee Shoreline Guidelines (PDF)
  10. 10HomeAdvisor: Septic Tank Repair Cost (updated Jun 19, 2026)
  11. 11HomeAdvisor: Septic System Installation Cost (updated Jun 20, 2026)

Ready when you are

Wet spot over the field lines? Let's find out why.

Tell us where the trouble shows and how old the house is. We will trace the lines, tell you what Putnam is likely to require, and quote the replacement. 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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