Septic permits & records
Putnam County Environmental Health (North Central Health District)
- Address
- 117 Putnam Drive, Suite C, P.O. Box 3776, Eatonton, GA 31024
- Phone
- (706) 485-8591
- Hours
- Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
Putnam County · Septic & sewer rules
Putnam County septic and sewer service for Lake Sinclair and Lake Oconee shoreline lots, farm parcels and the EPWSA sewer in Eatonton.
Eatonton is the county seat. Septic permits and records: Putnam County Environmental Health (North Central Health District), part of North Central Health District - Environmental Health.
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Get a free estimate
or call (678) 863-5620The short answer
Who permits septic in Putnam County, GA, and how close to the lake can it go?
Putnam County Environmental Health, part of the North Central Health District in Eatonton, permits every new system and repair. Georgia rules keep a drain field at least 50 feet from the normal water level of Lake Sinclair, Lake Oconee or any stream. EPWSA sewers Eatonton; most lake lots are septic. We install, repair and pump them.↗↗↗
Reviewed by Atlanta Water & Sewage Solutions · Last updated
The Putnam County story
Where Putnam people live: on the water, mostly off the sewer
Putnam's own 2022 plan says it plainly: after Eatonton, the county's biggest clusters of homes are the Sinclair and Oconee shorelines, and those lots carry some of its highest property values. Georgia Power built both reservoirs, Sinclair in 1953 and Oconee in 1979, and the coves filled with houses in the decades since.↗↗
What those shorelines do not have, in any record we could find, is public sewer. Federal drinking-water files list dozens of small community well systems serving lake subdivisions, from a few dozen taps to more than a thousand, and not one matching sewer utility. Water comes from the neighborhood well; wastewater goes to a tank in the yard.↗
That is why a septic job at the lake is really a measuring job first. The tank, the trenches and the replacement area all have to land on the right side of two lines: the state's water-level setback and Georgia Power's project boundary.
Permits · Putnam County Environmental Health, North Central Health District
Permitting a lake-lot or farm system in Putnam
The health department and the county's building office share one address on Putnam Drive, and a lease lot adds Georgia Power's review on top. We can handle the health department filing as your agent.
- 01
Apply to Putnam County Environmental Health at 117 Putnam Drive, Suite C, in Eatonton; the office line is (706) 485-8591 and it keeps weekday hours from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.↗
- 02
No tank goes in, and no failed system gets fixed, until the permit issues; a construction permit is good for 12 months at most, and repairs are inspected too.↗
- 03
Lay out the trenches at least 50 feet back from the normal water level of the lake or any creek, and 100 feet from any well.↗
- 04
On a Georgia Power lease lot, the system and its repair area must fit without disturbing the project boundary; if they cannot, the house plan is what changes.↗
Georgia rule 511-3-1-.07(3)
“Not less than fifty feet (50') from ... the normal water level of any impoundment, tributary, stream, or other body of water.”
Local facts
Putnam County water, sewer and land at a glance
Each row links to the agency, code or publisher it comes from. Tap a source to check it yourself.
| Topic | What it says | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Second phone number on file | Georgia DPH's statewide list shows (706) 484-2914 for Putnam environmental health | Georgia DPH: Environmental Health County Phone Numbers |
| Seasonal homes / mobile homes | 2,498 and 3,499 of 13,505 housing units (ACS 2020-2024) | Census Reporter: Putnam County, GA (ACS 2024 5-year) |
| Where trucked septage goes | Both EPWSA treatment plants accept septage; neither has a receiving station yet | GEFA Clean Water State Revolving Fund FY2025 Fundable List |
| Lake Sinclair nutrient limit | 0.9 mg/L monthly phosphorus cap on the Eastside plant's discharge to Rooty Creek | Georgia EPD permit package: Eatonton-Putnam WSA Eastside WPCP, NPDES GA0032271 (2023) |
| Georgia Power lake office | East Georgia Lakes, 125 Wallace Dam Road, Eatonton; 706-484-7500, by appointment | Georgia Power Lakes: Shoreline Management |
| Lake Oconee shoreline buffer | 25-foot vegetative buffer; no mechanical clearing on project land without written approval | Georgia Power: Lake Oconee Shoreline Guidelines |
| County formed / incorporated towns | 1807, named for Gen. Israel Putnam; Eatonton is the only incorporated town | New Georgia Encyclopedia: Putnam County |
Sewer or septic?
Does sewer reach your Putnam address?
The county names two water and sewer providers: the Eatonton-Putnam Water and Sewer Authority and Piedmont Water Company. The Sinclair Water Authority, shared with Baldwin County, is a water supplier. Only EPWSA runs documented sewage treatment, with an Eastside plant on Rooty Creek and a Westside plant on a Little River tributary.↗↗↗
The same plan that praises the lakes also notes families moving out beyond EPWSA's reach. Until lines follow them, a new house past the service area gets a septic permit, not a tap.↗
How to tell which one you have
- Your EPWSA bill shows a sewer base charge, not just water.
- Your water comes from a subdivision well system, which almost always means a septic tank too.
- Putnam County EH has a septic permit on file for the parcel.
- Green risers or concrete lids sit between the house and the water.
Soil & terrain
Davidson red clay and slow Helena ground
Putnam shares one soil survey with Baldwin and Jones counties, and across that area Davidson is the dominant soil. It is deep, dark red and well drained, but its subsoil runs 40 to 75 percent clay, weathered from dark iron- and magnesium-rich rock.↗↗
At the county's geographic center the survey maps eroded Helena sandy loam, a moderately well drained soil with slow water movement that NRCS rates very limited for absorption fields. Ground like that is where a site evaluation earns its fee.↗↗
Every creek here eventually feeds the Oconee. Close to a quarter of the land is national forest or wildlife management area, so building happens on the remaining farms and along the coves.↗↗
More about Putnam County
Why the numbers argue for a careful site plan
The soil survey's own ratings are sobering: across the Baldwin-Jones-Putnam area, far more acreage lands in the worst septic category than in the middle one. Add a sloping lot that drops to the water and the usable room for trenches shrinks fast.↗
Georgia Power adds its own layer on the lakes. Mechanical clearing is off-limits near the shore without its approval, so we plan equipment access and spoil piles from the uphill side.↗
The soil survey's own ratings are sobering: across the Baldwin-Jones-Putnam area, far more acreage lands in the worst septic category than in the middle one.
Who to call at the county
Offices that sign off on Putnam septic and sewer work
- Eatonton-Putnam Water & Sewer Authority Water and sewer663 Godfrey Road, Eatonton; (706) 485-5252.↗
- Putnam County Planning and Development Building, site and land-disturbance permits117 Putnam Drive, Suite B; 706-485-2776.↗
Median year homes were built
1992
Typical house here is about 34 years old — and so is its original sewer or septic line.
ACS 2020-2024 5-year, table B25035 · Census Reporter: Putnam County, GA (ACS 2024 5-year)
Housing era
Weekend houses, manufactured homes and a 1992 median
Nearly one Putnam home in five sits empty most of the year as a seasonal or weekend place. A tank that sees only holiday use can go years without anyone checking the baffles, and a full house at Thanksgiving is when it finally shows.↗
About a quarter of units are manufactured homes. Swapping one on the same pad often means more bedrooms than the original tank was sized for, so check with the health department first.↗
Services here
Septic and sewer work we take on across Putnam
- 01Septic InstallationNew lake houses and farm homes, laid out around shoreline and well setbacks.Septic Installation details
- 02Septic RepairBaffles, lines and boxes on lake and rural systems, permitted through the Putnam Drive office.Septic Repair details
- 03Drain Field Repair & ReplacementReplacement trenches that still have to stay 50 feet off the water.Drain Field Repair & Replacement details
- 04Septic PumpingSeasonal homes that sit idle, then fill up on holidays.Septic Pumping details
- 05Septic InspectionLake-lot purchases where the system is the biggest unknown.Septic Inspection details
- 06Sewer Line RepairPrivate lines tied into EPWSA mains in and around Eatonton.Sewer Line Repair details
- 07Water Line Repair & InstallationService lines from EPWSA meters and subdivision well systems.Water Line Repair & Installation details
Also available:Sewer Line Installation & ReplacementEmergency Septic & Sewer ServiceExcavation, Grading & Drainage
Towns we serve
Putnam County places we serve
Eatonton has its own page with EPWSA and town details.
Also in the county
- Crooked Creek · Census-designated place on the Lake Sinclair side.
- Lake Oconee shoreline · Golf and lake communities with private well systems.
- Willard, Kinderhook, Rockville, Dennis Station · Unincorporated communities listed for the county.
FAQ
Putnam County septic and lake-lot questions
Straight answers, with the rule or record behind them. Still unsure? Call and ask the crew that digs.
(678) 863-5620Where is the Putnam County septic permit office?
Putnam County Environmental Health works out of the Putnam County Health Department at 117 Putnam Drive, Suite C, in Eatonton, under the North Central Health District. Call (706) 485-8591 on weekdays between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. We can apply for the permit as your agent on jobs we do.
Source: North Central Health District: Putnam County Environmental Health Department
How far from Lake Sinclair or Lake Oconee does a drain field have to be?
At least 50 feet from the normal water level under Georgia rule 511-3-1-.07, and the same distance from creeks, tributaries and ponded wetlands. Wells need 100 feet. On a Georgia Power lease lot the system also has to stay off the project boundary.
Source: Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. R. 511-3-1-.07, Absorption Fields (LII)
Does Georgia Power have a say in my septic system?
On leased lake lots, yes. Its Sinclair guidelines require the septic system and its repair area to be sited without disturbing the project boundary, and they ask for a site plan showing the county-approved tank, field lines and well before reviewing a new house.
Source: Georgia Power: Lake Sinclair Dwellings and Additions guidelines
Is there public sewer at the lake in Putnam County?
Not in any public record we found. The county lists EPWSA and Piedmont Water as its water and sewer providers, and federal files show lake subdivisions on small community well systems. Unless your closing papers say otherwise, plan on a septic tank.
Why do I see two phone numbers for Putnam environmental health?
The district's Putnam page lists (706) 485-8591, while the state DPH phone list shows (706) 484-2914. Start with the district number, since it is on the office's own page.
Source: Georgia DPH: Environmental Health County Phone Numbers
How often should a Putnam septic tank be pumped?
The health district's guidance is every three to five years for a family of two to four on a 1,000-gallon tank, and it does not recommend additives. A weekend house may need less, but its tank should still be checked.
Source: North Central Health District: Putnam County Environmental Health Department
Where does the pumped waste go?
EPWSA accepts trucked septage at both its Eastside and Westside treatment plants in the Eatonton area. Its latest state funding request asks for proper receiving stations at each.
Source: GEFA Clean Water State Revolving Fund FY2025 Fundable List
Does Putnam post its septic permit fees online?
No. The North Central Health District has no Putnam septic fee schedule on its site, so call the office for current amounts before you budget.
Source: North Central Health District: Putnam County Environmental Health Department
Guides
Read these before you dig near the water
Georgia septic setback rulesThe full list of distances behind the 50-foot lake rule.Read the guide 
How do you get a septic permit in Georgia?The statewide steps the Putnam office follows.Read the guide 
Is a septic inspection required to sell a house in Georgia?Worth reading before buying a lake house.Read the guide
On Georgia's septic contractor lists
Our company appears on the state health department's certified installer list and its approved pumper list.
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
- 1North Central Health District: Putnam County Environmental Health Department
- 2Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. R. 511-3-1-.07, Absorption Fields (LII)
- 3Joint Comprehensive Plan, Putnam County and the City of Eatonton (adopted October 2022), GA DCA
- 4New Georgia Encyclopedia: Putnam County
- 5EPA Envirofacts SDWIS: public water systems in Putnam County (PWSID GA237xxxx)
- 6Wikipedia: Lake Sinclair
- 7Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 511-3-1 (On-Site Sewage Management Systems)
- 8Georgia Power: Lake Sinclair Dwellings and Additions guidelines
- 9Georgia DPH: Environmental Health County Phone Numbers
- 10Census Reporter: Putnam County, GA (ACS 2024 5-year)
- 11GEFA Clean Water State Revolving Fund FY2025 Fundable List
- 12Georgia EPD permit package: Eatonton-Putnam WSA Eastside WPCP, NPDES GA0032271 (2023)
- 13Georgia Power Lakes: Shoreline Management
- 14Georgia Power: Lake Oconee Shoreline Guidelines
- 15Putnam County, GA: Water and Sewer Providers
- 16Putnam County, GA: Sinclair Water Authority
- 17Eatonton-Putnam Water & Sewer Authority (official site)
- 18USDA NRCS Soil Data Access (SSURGO), survey area GA604 Baldwin, Jones, and Putnam Counties
- 19USDA NRCS Official Series Description: Davidson series
- 20USDA NRCS Official Series Description: Helena series
- 21Wikipedia: Putnam County, Georgia
- 22Putnam County, GA: Planning and Development
- 23Census Reporter: Putnam County, GA (ACS 2024 5-year)
- 24Georgia DPH Certified Septic Tank Installer Companies list (9/18/2026)
- 25Georgia DPH Approved Septic Tank Pumper Companies list (9/18/2026)
Ready when you are
Lake lot, farm parcel or an Eatonton tap? We measure first.
Call for a free on-site estimate anywhere in Putnam County. We check the setbacks, handle the health department permit and do the work.
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