Septic permits & records
Clarke County Environmental Health (Northeast Health District)
- Address
- 183 Paradise Blvd, Suite 104, Athens, GA 30607
- Phone
- 706-583-2658
- Hours
- Mon–Fri 8:30 am–5:00 pm, closed noon–1:00 pm
Clarke County · Septic & sewer rules
Septic and sewer service in Clarke County, Georgia, where the unified Athens-Clarke government runs public sewer and about a quarter of households use septic.
Athens is the county seat. Septic permits and records: Clarke County Environmental Health (Northeast Health District), part of Northeast Health District (District 10) — Environmental Health.
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How does septic and sewer work in Clarke County, GA?
Clarke County is governed as Athens-Clarke, and its utility sewers about three-quarters of homes; roughly 25% of households use septic. Septic permits come from Clarke County Environmental Health at 183 Paradise Boulevard, Athens. ACC's code keeps tanks and fields out of the floodplain. Atlanta Water & Sewage Solutions works on both.↗↗↗
Reviewed by Atlanta Water & Sewage Solutions · Last updated
The Clarke County story
A county that is also a city
Clarke dates to December 5, 1801, when the legislature cut about 250 square miles out of Jackson County. Its seat sat in Watkinsville until 1871, then moved to Athens; the southwestern part broke away four years later as Oconee.↗
Today county and city are one government, and one utility runs the pipes. That makes Clarke simpler than most counties we serve: there is no patchwork of town systems. The complication is the quarter of households that never got sewer.↗
The housing stock explains part of it. Clarke has about 57,900 homes, fewer than half of them detached houses, and a median build year of 1987. Plenty went up in the 1960s and 1970s at the edges of town, beyond where mains ran then.↗
Clarke dates to December 5, 1801, when the legislature cut about 250 square miles out of Jackson County.
Local facts
Clarke County wastewater facts
Each row links to the agency, code or publisher it comes from. Tap a source to check it yourself.
| Topic | What it says | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Households on septic | About 25% of Athens-Clarke households | Athens-Clarke County — Septic System Facts |
| Treatment capacity | 28 million gallons a day: North Oconee 14, Middle Oconee 10, Cedar Creek 4 | Athens-Clarke County — ACC Water Reclamation Facilities |
| Septage tipping, 2026 | $0.15 a gallon for ACC loads; $0.35 for Jackson, Barrow, Oconee, Oglethorpe and Madison loads | Athens-Clarke County — Sewer / Wastewater / Septage Rates (effective July 1, 2026) |
| Board of Health lot rule | Adopted June 13, 2018; in force July 13, 2018 | Clarke County Board of Health — Lot Size Ordinance (effective July 13, 2018) |
| Zoning lot rule | No home on under 25,500 sq ft without sewer; 51,000 sq ft with well and septic | Athens-Clarke County Code § 9-15-14 — Minimum lot sizes for residences using septic tanks |
| Septic education line | ACC Septic Education Program, 706-613-3795; inspect every 3–5 years | Athens-Clarke County — Septic System Facts |
Permits · Clarke County Environmental Health (Northeast Health District), 183 Paradise Blvd, Suite 104, Athens
Permitting septic work in Clarke
Two sets of rules apply at once: the health board's and the unified government's zoning code.
- 01
The Paradise Boulevard office issues septic and repair permits, evaluates existing systems and runs site evaluations; a specialist inspects the work.↗
- 02
The health board wants 25,500 square feet of usable soil on public water and 51,000 on another supply, with 100 or 150 feet of width where the field and its replacement go.↗
- 03
The zoning code repeats the numbers in its own words, and lets the health department judge older platted lots one by one.↗
- 04
Keep every part of the system out of the regulatory floodplain.↗
- 05
Finish inside the permit's life; Georgia caps construction permits at 12 months.↗
Georgia rule ACC Code § 8-6-6
“Septic tanks shall not be located within the floodplain.”
Soil & terrain
Hills, gullies and three rivers
Athens sits on a run of Piedmont hills. Our soil pulls show it: moderately eroded Pacolet on 10 to 15 percent slopes at the center, where slope is the main strike against a field, and flatter Cecil to the east.↗
North of town one sample landed in a Pacolet and gullied-land complex. The gullied part is not rated for septic at all, a reminder that old erosion scars still shape where a field can go.↗
Sewer or septic?
Three-quarters sewer, one-quarter tanks
Most Clarke homes drain to one of three ACC plants on College Station Road, Will Hunter Road and Barnett Shoals Road. The rest, about one household in four, rely on a tank and a field.↗↗
ACC has a lever for moving those homes over: the commission may waive part of a project's sewer connection fees when it converts septic systems to sewer and helps the watershed.↗
How to tell which one you have
- A sewer line item on the ACC utility bill
- No sewer charge, plus tank lids or a mound in the yard
- An old permit on file with Clarke Environmental Health
Services here
What we do in Clarke County
- 01Sewer Line Repair in AthensThe owner's line runs from the main itself.Sewer Line Repair in Athens details
- 02Septic Repair in AthensThe quarter of households still on tanks.Septic Repair in Athens details
- 03Septic Repair in BogartBogart's Clarke-side homes included.Septic Repair in Bogart details
Also available:Septic PumpingSewer Camera InspectionWater Line Repair & Installation
Towns we serve
Places in Clarke County
Athens covers nearly all of the county; Bogart and Winterville sit at its edges.
- AthensAthens sewer and septic: laterals, stubouts and the 25% on tanks.Athens septic & sewer
- BogartBogart septic: 140 of its residents live on the Clarke side.Bogart septic & sewer
Also in the county
- Winterville
Who to call at the county
Who to call in Clarke
- Athens-Clarke County Public Utilities Water and sewerWater & Sewer Division 706-613-3495 on weekdays.↗
- ACC Septic Education Program Homeowner septic guidance706-613-3795.↗
On the map
Clarke from our Oxford shop
About 57 min / 38.9 mi by road from our Oxford shop to central Clarke
Routed drive to the county's geographic center in Athens.
Route sourceState-listed for septic work
Georgia DPH's September 18, 2026 rosters of certified septic installers and approved pumpers list Atlanta Water & Sewage Solutions under Walton County.
FAQ
Clarke County septic and sewer questions
Straight answers, with the rule or record behind them. Still unsure? Call and ask the crew that digs.
(678) 863-5620How many Athens-Clarke homes are on septic?
Athens-Clarke County puts it at about 25% of households; the rest are on public sewer.
Where is the Clarke County septic permit office?
Clarke County Environmental Health, 183 Paradise Boulevard, Suite 104, Athens. Phone 706-583-2658; open weekdays 8:30 to 5, closed for lunch.
Source: Northeast Health District — Clarke County locations (Environmental Health)
Can a septic system go in the floodplain in Clarke County?
No. The ACC code keeps both septic tanks and drain fields out of the floodplain.
Source: Athens-Clarke County Code § 8-6-6 — Standards for activities within the floodplains
What lot size does Clarke require for septic?
25,500 square feet of usable soil with public water, 51,000 square feet with a well. The zoning code sets the same floor for any home not on sewer.
Source: Athens-Clarke County Code § 9-15-14 — Minimum lot sizes for residences using septic tanks
Where does pumped septage from Clarke go?
ACC takes septage from permitted haulers and prices it by origin: $0.15 a gallon for Athens-Clarke loads in 2026 and $0.35 for loads from neighboring approved counties.
Source: Athens-Clarke County — Sewer / Wastewater / Septage Rates (effective July 1, 2026)
How often should a Clarke County septic tank be checked?
ACC passes along EPA guidance: inspect every 3 to 5 years, depending on household size and water use.
Does ACC help with switching from septic to sewer?
Its code lets the commission exempt up to 30% of a project from connection fees when the project converts septic systems to sewer for watershed benefit.
Source: Athens-Clarke County Code § 5-3-79 — Wastewater connection fee
Is Bogart in Clarke County?
Partly. Most of Bogart is in Oconee County; about 140 of its residents lived on the Clarke side in 2024.
Source: Wikipedia — Bogart, Georgia
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 Atlanta Water & Sewage Solutions · Last updated
- 1Athens-Clarke County — Septic System Facts
- 2Northeast Health District — Clarke County locations (Environmental Health)
- 3Athens-Clarke County Code § 8-6-6 — Standards for activities within the floodplains
- 4Wikipedia — Clarke County, Georgia
- 5Census Reporter — Clarke County, GA (ACS 2020-2024 5-year)
- 6Athens-Clarke County — ACC Water Reclamation Facilities
- 7Athens-Clarke County — Sewer / Wastewater / Septage Rates (effective July 1, 2026)
- 8Clarke County Board of Health — Lot Size Ordinance (effective July 13, 2018)
- 9Athens-Clarke County Code § 9-15-14 — Minimum lot sizes for residences using septic tanks
- 10Northeast Health District — Sewage/Septic Systems (Clarke ordinance)
- 11Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 511-3-1-.03
- 12USDA NRCS Soil Data Access — GA623 map units at Athens-Clarke sample points
- 13Athens-Clarke County Code § 5-3-79 — Wastewater connection fee
- 14Athens-Clarke County — Report a Problem
- 15Georgia DPH Certified Septic Tank Installer Companies list (9/18/2026)
- 16Georgia DPH Approved Septic Tank Pumper Companies list (9/18/2026)
- 17Wikipedia — Bogart, Georgia
Ready when you are
Sewer bill or septic lids? Either way, we work in Clarke.
Give us the address and the symptom, and we'll tell you which system you're dealing with and what the county will require.
(678) 863-5620- Georgia DPH-certified installer & pumper
- Residential & commercial
- Oxford, GA
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or call (678) 863-5620