Septic permits & records
Greene County Environmental Health (Northeast Health District)
- Address
- 1031 Apalachee Ave, Greensboro, GA 30642
- Phone
- 706-453-4471
- Hours
- Specialist in-office hours 8:30-10:00 a.m., Mon-Fri
Lake Oconee · Reynolds Lake Oconee
Septic installation, drain fields, sewer and water lines, and lot clearing and grading at Reynolds Lake Oconee in Greensboro, Greene County, Georgia.
Reynolds Lake Oconee, on Lake Oconee · Greene County. ZIP codes 30642, 31024.
- Lake Oconee & Lake Sinclair
- Residential & commercial
- 10% off: military & first responders
Get a free estimate
or call (678) 863-5620The short answer
Is Reynolds Lake Oconee on sewer or septic?
Both, and it changes street to street. Piedmont Water lists Reynolds among its sewer communities, mostly low-pressure lines with a grinder pump at each house, yet some homesites inside the gates sell as 'Septic Required.' A Class Septic Services builds those septic systems and does the clearing, grading, drainage and utility trenching either kind of lot needs.↗↗
Reviewed by A Class Septic Services · Last updated
The Reynolds Lake Oconee story
Twelve thousand acres, built one release at a time
Reynolds was built in phases, which is why its utilities are a patchwork. The first lots sold around The Preserve in 1988; Great Waters followed in 1992, the Ritz-Carlton in 2002, The Landing in 2005, Creek Club in 2007 and The Homesteads in 2019.↗
Piedmont Water ran low-pressure sewer through many phases, but not every homesite got a line in front of it. Today the community calls itself 12,000 acres of lakefront with eight championship courses, the newest being Steve Smyers' Fenmoor, and the sales office still sits at 1341 Linger Longer Road in Greensboro.↗↗
So one gate holds two jobs: trench, line and grade on a Piedmont street, and a full septic system on wooded, falling ground on the homesites without a line.
On the record
- Linger Longer Marina opened in 1988 as the first of what are now five full-service Reynolds marinas; Richland Pointe Marina, the fifth, opened in 2024.↗
- Reynolds Lake Oconee describes itself as 12,000 acres of lakefront property with eight championship golf courses, the eighth being Steve Smyers' Fenmoor.↗
Sewer or septic?
Sewer or septic at Reynolds: check the lot, not the gate
Piedmont Water names 'Reynolds at Lake Oconee' on its short list of sewer communities, and describes most of its systems as low-pressure: each house has its own grinder pump that turns wastewater to slurry and pushes it into the main.↗↗
The listings tell the rest. A 1.17-acre homesite on Cedar Ridge Drive, described as being in the main section of Reynolds, was marketed with sewer marked 'Septic Required.' A 1.11-acre homesite on Hardwood Hollow, inside the same gates, was listed with public sewer.↗↗
Piedmont tells Lake Country agents that a nearby line does not mean a vacant lot can connect, and to get availability in writing; vacant-lot questions go to development@piedmontwater.com.↗
How to tell which one you have
- Read the listing's sewer field: 'Septic Required' and 'Public Sewer' both appear on Reynolds homesites.
- Ask Greene County Environmental Health (706-453-4471) whether a septic permit or approval letter is on file for the parcel.
- Get Piedmont's availability answer in writing; for a vacant lot, email development@piedmontwater.com.
- On a built home, a grinder-pump alarm panel on the wall points to Piedmont sewer; tank lids downhill of the house point to septic.
Local facts
Reynolds 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Wastewater utility | Piedmont Water Company, low-pressure sewer where lines exist | Piedmont Water Company: Wastewater Services (sewer communities list) |
| Lift stations | Lake Oconee News reported the Engh station beside The Creek Club on Sand Ford Road is one of 20 in Reynolds | Lake Oconee News: Piedmont Water fined by EPD for sewage spill (June 8, 2023) |
| 2023 overflow | A February 2023 power surge disabled the Engh station; over 260,000 gallons spilled and EPD fined Piedmont | Same source as above |
| Drinking water | Piedmont's Reynolds Water System, fed since 2022 by a lake-water plant drawing up to 2 million gallons a day | Madison/Morgan & Greene Record: New Piedmont Water treatment plant goes online (Sept 7, 2022) |
| Treatment capacity | $22 million Carey Station expansion, 0.5 to 1.5 million gallons a day | Piedmont Water: Carey Station Water Reclamation Facility expansion (Jan 2026) |
| Soil at the community's center point | Cecil gravelly sandy loam, 6 to 10 percent slopes, moderately eroded; rated somewhat limited for septic fields (slow water movement) | USDA NRCS Soil Data Access (SSURGO GA133 Greene County): map unit and septic absorption rating at 33.4082, -83.2088 |
More about Reynolds Lake Oconee
Building a 'Septic Required' homesite inside the gates
Start with the arithmetic. Greene County's Board of Health wants 0.75 acre for a septic lot on public water (1.5 acres on a private well), and most of Reynolds draws from Piedmont's Reynolds Water System, but the strip within 75 feet of Lake Oconee's high-water line does not count toward it. A lakefront lot that looks generous on the plat can come up short once that strip is taken off.↗↗
Then fit the field. State rule keeps absorption trenches 50 feet back from the lake's normal water level and asks for 24 inches between the trench bottom and rock or seasonal groundwater, which can drop to 12 inches behind an aerobic unit treating to Class I effluent. On a Reynolds slope, the usable soil is often uphill of the house or squeezed between the drive and the view corridor, so a pump tank pushing to the field, a drip field laid on contour or an aerobic unit is a design choice, not an upsell.↗↗
The ground varies, too. The Homesteads on the east shore sit among boulders and Siloam granite along Rock Fall Loop, and rock decides where a tank can go. Fenmoor's first homesites, between the 14th and 15th holes near the Reynolds Parkway gate, are marketed as easy to build on.↗↗
Start with the arithmetic.
More about Reynolds Lake Oconee
Clearing, grading and drainage near Reynolds shoreline
Georgia Power holds the line at the water. Inside its 25-foot vegetative buffer and on its project land, no grubbing or change to the land's contour happens without its written approval, and the county's buffer permits come first.↗
Drainage has a rule of its own: a pipe may not cross Georgia Power property, so roof leaders, driveway culverts and yard drains stop at the project boundary and hand off to a swale, French drain or dry creek bed. Plan it with the septic or sewer trench, not after the sod.↗
Greene adds its own layer: work within 200 feet of state waters needs a design-professional erosion plan, a land disturbance permit and an EPD notice of intent with a 14-day wait. Greene is not on EPD's summer burn-ban list; Putnam is.↗↗
Georgia Power holds the line at the water.
Soil & terrain
Cecil clay under the fairways
Ask the federal soil survey about the point at the center of the community and it answers Cecil gravelly sandy loam on 6 to 10 percent slopes, moderately eroded. NRCS rates it somewhat limited for septic absorption because water moves slowly through the subsoil. Workable ground, but the steeper cove sides can hit Georgia's 25 percent slope limit for fields.↗
Permits · Greene County Environmental Health (Northeast Health District), 1031 Apalachee Avenue, Greensboro
The Greene County permit path for a Reynolds septic system
A septic homesite at Reynolds moves through the county before it moves any dirt. We schedule the install around the permit and the county's inspection.
- 01
Call Greene County Environmental Health for the perc test and septic approval letter; the county building office needs that letter with any permit that will use septic.↗
- 02
Confirm the lot meets the Board of Health minimum after the 75-foot lake strip is excluded.↗
- 03
File the erosion plan, land disturbance permit and EPD notice of intent if the lot is within 200 feet of state waters, and allow the 14-day wait.↗
- 04
Install inside the permit's 12-month life and leave the system uncovered for the county's inspection before backfill.↗
Services here
What we do at Reynolds Lake Oconee
Septic work on the homesites that need it, then the site work every Reynolds build needs.
- 01Septic System InstallationNew systems on 'Septic Required' homesites, permitted through Greene EH.Septic System Installation details
- 02Drip Septic SystemsFields laid on contour across wooded slopes.Drip Septic Systems details
- 03Aerobic Septic SystemsPretreatment where rock leaves less than 24 inches of soil.Aerobic Septic Systems details
- 04Septic Pump SystemsPump tanks for houses that sit below the only usable field area.Septic Pump Systems details
- 05Sewer Line Builds & TapsTrench and line on Piedmont streets, on Piedmont's terms.Sewer Line Builds & Taps details
- 06Land & Lot ClearingSelective clearing that stays out of Georgia Power's 25-foot buffer.Land & Lot Clearing details
- 07Grading & Driveway PreparationPads and drives on lots that fall toward the lake or a fairway.Grading & Driveway Preparation details
- 08French DrainsThe legal hand-off where drainage meets the project boundary.French Drains details
Also available:Waterlines & DistributionBasement ExcavationStump & Debris Removal
Local service pages
Our services in Reynolds Lake Oconee
Who to call at the county
Who signs off on a Reynolds lot
- Piedmont Water Company Water and low-pressure sewer at Reynolds800-248-7689; vacant-lot availability via development@piedmontwater.com. Customer center at 607 Old Phoenix Road, Eatonton.↗
- Greene County Building & Zoning Land disturbance permits and erosion plans1034 Silver Drive, Suite 103, Greensboro; 706-453-3333.↗
- Georgia Power Lake Resources Office (East Georgia) Buffer, tree-removal and shoreline approvals125 Wallace Dam Road NE, Eatonton.↗
On the map
Reynolds on the Lake Oconee map
Reynolds Lake Oconee, south Greene County off Linger Longer Road
Main Reynolds addresses are Greensboro 30642; Great Waters is in Putnam County.
SourceNearby areas
Neighbors around Reynolds
- Great Waters septic & sewerThe Putnam County section of Reynolds, with more septic homes than most.
- The Landing septic & sewerThe former Port Armour, a Piedmont sewer neighborhood inside Reynolds.
- Lake Oconee Parkway septic & sewerGA 44 and Lake Oconee Village, where Piedmont serves the corridor.
- Harbor Club septic & sewerGolf community up the lake, not on Piedmont's sewer list.
- Del Webb Lake Oconee septic & sewerActive-adult neighborhood on Piedmont sewer.
- Greensboro septic & sewerGreene's county seat and permit offices.
FAQ
Reynolds Lake Oconee lot questions
Straight answers, with the rule or record behind them. Still unsure? Call and ask the crew that digs.
(678) 863-5620How do I find out if a Reynolds homesite needs septic?
Check the listing's sewer field, then confirm in writing with Piedmont Water; for a lot that has never connected, Piedmont asks for questions at development@piedmontwater.com. Greene County Environmental Health can tell you if a septic approval exists for the parcel.
Source: Piedmont Water: Public Education with Piedmont, Grinder Pumps and Coffee (Oct 2026)
How big does a Reynolds lot need to be for septic?
Greene's Board of Health minimum is 0.75 acre on public water or 1.5 acres on a well, and land within 75 feet of Lake Oconee's high-water line is not counted.
Source: Greene County Board of Health: Lot Size Ordinance (effective Sept 7, 2018)
Can brush from a Reynolds lot be burned in summer?
Greene County is not on EPD's May 1 to September 30 open-burning ban list, unlike Putnam across the lake. Community rules may still limit burning, so ask before planning on it.
Source: GA EPD press release, Apr. 29, 2026: Annual Ban on Open Burning (county list)
Can I clear down to the water on a Reynolds lakefront lot?
Not without Georgia Power. No mechanical clearing or regrading is allowed in its 25-foot buffer or on its land without written approval, and approved tree removal must be replanted one for one with natives.
Do I need an erosion permit to build at Reynolds?
Often. Greene requires a design-professional erosion plan, a land disturbance permit and an EPD notice of intent for work in a post-2000 common development, over an acre, or within 200 feet of state waters, with a 14-day wait after the notice.
Source: Greene County, GA: Erosion Control Permit Requirements
Who owns the grinder pump on a Reynolds sewer home?
Piedmont Water says the grinder pump is the homeowner's property and responsibility, and that its systems are built around E/One pumps. Call Piedmont for pump questions; we handle the excavation and line work around it.
Guides
Reading for Reynolds lot buyers
Septic for a Georgia lake houseWhat a 'Septic Required' homesite actually commits you to.Read the guide 
Georgia Power shoreline rules and septicThe 25-foot buffer, tree replanting and the drainage hand-off.Read the guide 
Drip vs. conventional septic on a lake lotFor homesites that fall toward a cove or fairway.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
- 1Piedmont Water Company: Wastewater Services (sewer communities list)
- 2MLS listing: Cedar Ridge Dr homesite, Greensboro GA 30642 (Reynolds Lake Oconee)
- 3Reynolds Lake Oconee: Timeline
- 4Reynolds Lake Oconee (official site)
- 5Reynolds Lake Oconee: Golf
- 6Piedmont Water Company: Grinder Pumps
- 7MLS listing: Hardwood Hollow homesite, Greensboro GA (Reynolds Lake Oconee)
- 8Piedmont Water: Public Education with Piedmont, Grinder Pumps and Coffee (Oct 2026)
- 9Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. r. 511-3-1-.03, General Requirements for On-Site Sewage Management Systems (LII)
- 10Lake Oconee News: Piedmont Water fined by EPD for sewage spill (June 8, 2023)
- 11Madison/Morgan & Greene Record: New Piedmont Water treatment plant goes online (Sept 7, 2022)
- 12Piedmont Water: Carey Station Water Reclamation Facility expansion (Jan 2026)
- 13USDA NRCS Soil Data Access (SSURGO GA133 Greene County): map unit and septic absorption rating at 33.4082, -83.2088
- 14Greene County Board of Health: Lot Size Ordinance (effective Sept 7, 2018)
- 15Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. R. 511-3-1-.07, Absorption Fields (LII)
- 16GA DPH Manual for On-Site Sewage Management Systems (March 2026), Section F: Dispersal Systems
- 17Reynolds Lake Oconee: The Homesteads release
- 18Reynolds Lake Oconee: Fenmoor homesite release
- 19Georgia Power: Lake Oconee Shoreline Guidelines
- 20Greene County, GA: Erosion Control Permit Requirements
- 21GA EPD press release, Apr. 29, 2026: Annual Ban on Open Burning (county list)
- 22Greene County, GA: Septic Tank Permits
- 23Greene County EH Fees (effective August 1, 2024)
- 24Northeast Health District: Greene County locations (Environmental Health)
- 25Georgia Power: East Georgia Lakes (Oconee/Sinclair)
Ready when you are
Septic Required homesite, or a Piedmont street? Either way, one crew from first tree to final grade.
Call A Class Septic Services about a septic system, a sewer or water line, or the clearing, grading and drainage on a Reynolds lot. 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