Septic permits & records
Spalding County Environmental Health (District 4 Public Health)
- Address
- 1007 Memorial Drive, P.O. Box 129, Griffin, GA 30224
- Phone
- (770) 467-4230
- Hours
- Monday-Friday 8 a.m.-5 p.m.; closed for lunch 12-1 p.m.
Spalding County · Septic & sewer rules
Spalding County septic and sewer service, where Griffin's system covers the center of the county and rural areas to the west, northeast and southeast rely on septic.
Griffin is the county seat. Septic permits and records: Spalding County Environmental Health (District 4 Public Health), part of District 4 Public Health - Environmental Health.
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Is Spalding County, GA on sewer or septic, and who permits septic?
Both. Griffin's city system sewers the center of the county, and Henry County's authority serves the Heron Bay and Sun City area. The county plan says rural areas to the west, northeast and southeast have no public sewer. Spalding County Environmental Health, a District 4 office in Griffin, permits septic installs and repairs.↗↗
Reviewed by Atlanta Water & Sewage Solutions · Last updated
Sewer or septic?
Three sewer providers, and a lot of county with none
Spalding's 2042 plan maps the county by character area, and the wastewater line on each map tells the story. Suburban areas hugging Griffin are mostly inside the city's sewer service area. The Rural Community areas that cover the county's outer bands, including much of its watershed protection district, are marked plainly: no public sewer.↗
The north end is different again. The Heron Bay and Sun City village centers near the Henry County line are served by the Henry County Water Authority, and a private developer supplies sewer to certain other communities.↗
How to tell which one you have
- Unincorporated homes may be Spalding County Water Authority customers whose bill is printed by Griffin; look for a sewer line item.
- SCWA will issue a water and sewer availability letter for a specific parcel.
- Spalding County Environmental Health can tell you whether a septic permit is on file.
Who to call at the county
Who you call in Spalding County
- City of Griffin Water & Wastewater Water and sewer in and around GriffinThree plants plus the Blanton Mill land application site.↗
- Spalding County Water & Sewerage Facilities Authority Water and sewer in unincorporated SpaldingGriffin maintains and bills for the authority; 770-467-4777.↗
- Henry County Water Authority Sewer at the Heron Bay and Sun City village centers↗
Local facts
The Spalding numbers behind a septic or sewer decision
Each row links to the agency, code or publisher it comes from. Tap a source to check it yourself.
| Topic | What it says | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Septic permits | 1007 Memorial Drive, Griffin; (770) 467-4230; weekdays 8-5, closed noon to 1 | District 4 Public Health: Spalding County Environmental Health |
| County water system (EPA) | Spalding County Water System, GA2550036: about 40,430 people and 12,383 connections | EPA Envirofacts SDWIS: public water systems in Spalding County (PWSID GA255xxxx) |
| Rural wastewater | Rural Community areas west, northeast and southeast: no public sewer | Spalding County 2042 Comprehensive Plan (adopted October 2022) |
| Sewer study | Phase 1 feasibility study for US 19/41 and GA 16, about $50,000 to $100,000 | Spalding County 2042 Comprehensive Plan (adopted October 2022) |
| Median year built / mobile homes | 1985 / 1,733 of 28,714 housing units | Census Reporter: Spalding County, GA (ACS 2024 5-year) |
| County formed | December 20, 1851, named for Thomas Spalding | Wikipedia: Spalding County, Georgia |
| Population | 67,306 (2020 Census) | Wikipedia: Spalding County, Georgia |
The Spalding County story
A county that drinks from its rivers guards them
Spalding gets its drinking water from surface sources, and the county plan says so plainly. Griffin first pumped Flint River water to town in 1929, and in 2005 it finished the Keller reservoir, a regional supply that also sends water to Pike County, Zebulon and Williamson.↗↗
That dependence shows up in the zoning code. Around the Griffin reservoir, perennial streams within seven miles carry a 100-foot natural buffer and a 150-foot setback where no pavement, septic tank or drain field may go. On a creek-side lot that setback can decide where the house, and the field, fit at all.↗
The county also writes its own rules for drip septic systems, the pressurized alternative that suits tight or shallow sites. In practice a Spalding drip design gets checked against a local ordinance on top of the state rules.↗
On the record
- Keller reservoir, completed in 2005 and filled with 4.1 billion gallons from the Flint, is a regional reservoir that also supplies Pike County, Zebulon and Williamson.↗
- Near the Griffin/Flint River reservoir, septic tanks and drain fields are banned within 150 feet of perennial streams inside a 7-mile radius.↗
Permits · Spalding County Environmental Health, District 4 Public Health
Getting a septic permit in Spalding
District 4 uses the same forms in all of its counties and prints no fee on them, so confirm the current amount with the Griffin office. We can file as your agent.
- 01
Fill out the District 4 new-system application with bedrooms, water source, foundation type and where plumbing exits the house.↗
- 02
Sketch the lot with wells, buried utilities, easements, paved areas and the planned field, and check it against any stream setback.↗
- 03
For a drip system, design to the county ordinance: a 48-hour-retention tank, aerobic pretreatment and an alarmed dosing chamber.↗
- 04
Have the system inspected before it is covered; repairs and additions follow the same rule.↗
Georgia rule 511-3-1-.03(1)
“available within two hundred feet (200') of the property line”
Soil & terrain
Cecil ground on two river basins
Spalding straddles a divide. The western part drains to the Flint and on to the Gulf, the east to the Ocmulgee and the Atlantic. Across both, Cecil soils dominate, from gentle moderately eroded sandy loam to severely eroded clay loam on steeper ground.↗↗
For a septic field that mostly means slow percolation. NRCS rates about four of every five rated acres somewhat limited and the rest very limited, with the wettest trouble on the frequently flooded creek bottoms.↗
Cecil sandy loam, 2-6% slopes, moderately eroded↗
Largest map unit, 22,100 acres.
Cecil sandy clay loam, 6-10% slopes, severely eroded↗
16,530 acres.
Appling sandy loam, 2-6% slopes, moderately eroded↗
7,155 acres.
Chewacla, Cartecay and Toccoa soils, frequently flooded↗
4,800 acres of bottomland.
- Soil series · USDA NRCS
More about Spalding County
Why sewer has not spread
The county has studied the question more than once. Its 2013 wastewater master plan concluded that sewer only pays for itself where development is at least medium density, and the 2042 plan's public input put sewer capacity at the top of the list for housing, jobs and watershed protection alike.↗
Meanwhile some pockets manage on their own. Federal permit records show small private plants serving a mobile home park and a school campus, which is what it takes to put dense housing on land the public lines do not reach.↗
- Spalding's 2013 wastewater master plan found density must be medium or greater to cover the cost of building and running sewer.↗
- Small private wastewater permits in Spalding include the Timbercreek mobile home park on Martin Luther King Jr. Parkway and the Beaver Brook school site on Birdie Road.↗
- SCWA issues a water and sewer availability letter on request, and new lines go in under owner or development agreements.↗
The county has studied the question more than once.
Towns we serve
Spalding County places we serve
Griffin has its own page covering its sewer rules and septic edges.
Also in the county
- East Griffin · Census-designated place east of the city.
- Experiment · Census-designated place north of Griffin.
- Sunny Side · Census-designated place.
- Heron Bay · Partly in Henry County; Henry County sewer at the village center.
- Orchard Hill · Small town in south Spalding.
Services here
Our work across Spalding County
- 01Septic RepairRural systems in the west, northeast and southeast bands.Septic Repair details
- 02Sewer Line RepairLaterals tied into Griffin, SCWA or Henry County sewer.Sewer Line Repair details
- 03Septic InstallationNew homes outside the sewer areas, sited around stream setbacks.Septic Installation details
- 04Drain Field Repair & ReplacementSlow Cecil subsoil wears fields out.Drain Field Repair & Replacement details
- 05Septic PumpingRoutine care that keeps solids out of the field.Septic Pumping details
- 06Emergency Septic & Sewer ServiceBackups anywhere in the county.Emergency Septic & Sewer Service details
Also available:Septic InspectionWater Line Repair & Installation
FAQ
Spalding County septic and sewer FAQ
Straight answers, with the rule or record behind them. Still unsure? Call and ask the crew that digs.
(678) 863-5620Where do I get a septic permit in Spalding County?
From Spalding County Environmental Health, a District 4 Public Health office at 1007 Memorial Drive in Griffin, (770) 467-4230. It is open weekdays from 8 to 5 and closed from noon to 1. The same office handles repairs and well water.
Source: District 4 Public Health: Spalding County Environmental Health
Does the Spalding County Water Authority provide sewer?
It has a sewer service area as well as water, shown on its maps, and it will write an availability letter for a parcel. The City of Griffin handles the authority's maintenance and billing under contract.
Which parts of Spalding have no public sewer?
The county's 2042 plan says its Rural Community areas, in the west and the northeast and southeast, are largely outside Griffin's sewer service area and have no public sewer. Extending lines there is discouraged except along scenic byways.
Source: Spalding County 2042 Comprehensive Plan (adopted October 2022)
Can I put a septic field near a creek in Spalding?
Not close to one in the Griffin reservoir watershed. Within seven miles of the reservoir, septic tanks and drain fields are prohibited within 150 feet of perennial streams, and a 150-foot buffer surrounds the reservoir itself.
Source: Spalding County Zoning Sec. 2107: Water supply watershed protection criteria (Municode)
Does Spalding have special rules for drip septic systems?
Yes. The county code requires drip systems to use a tank with 48 hours of retention, aerobic pretreatment to 25 mg/l BOD and 30 mg/l TSS, a dosing chamber sized for a full day's flow with an audible and visible alarm, and flow monitoring.
Source: Spalding County Code Sec. 5-3003: Drip-emitter absorption field criteria (Municode)
Who provides sewer at Heron Bay and Sun City?
The Henry County Water Authority, according to Spalding's comprehensive plan, which is why those village centers can support more intense development than the rest of north Spalding.
Source: Spalding County 2042 Comprehensive Plan (adopted October 2022)
What makes septic fields struggle in Spalding soil?
Most of the county is Cecil soil with a clay subsoil that passes water slowly. NRCS rates roughly 97,800 acres of its major soil components somewhat limited for absorption fields and about 24,570 acres very limited.
Source: USDA NRCS Soil Data Access (SSURGO), survey area GA255 Spalding County
What should I do before adding a pool or garage on a septic lot?
District 4 asks owners planning a pool, detached garage or other structure at a septic home to contact the county Environmental Health office and complete the required applications first, so the build does not land on the tank or field.
Guides
Guides for Spalding owners
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
- 1Spalding County 2042 Comprehensive Plan (adopted October 2022)
- 2District 4 Public Health: Spalding County Environmental Health
- 3Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 511-3-1 (On-Site Sewage Management Systems)
- 4City of Griffin: Wastewater (treatment facilities)
- 5Spalding County Water Authority: About Us
- 6EPA Envirofacts SDWIS: public water systems in Spalding County (PWSID GA255xxxx)
- 7Census Reporter: Spalding County, GA (ACS 2024 5-year)
- 8Wikipedia: Spalding County, Georgia
- 9City of Griffin: Water (treatment plants and reservoirs)
- 10Spalding County Zoning Sec. 2107: Water supply watershed protection criteria (Municode)
- 11Spalding County Code Sec. 5-3003: Drip-emitter absorption field criteria (Municode)
- 12District 4 Public Health: New Residential Septic Permit Application (rev. 2024-08-12)
- 13USDA NRCS Soil Data Access (SSURGO), survey area GA255 Spalding County
- 14EPA ECHO Clean Water Act facility search: Spalding County, GA (active permits)
- 15Spalding County Water Authority: New Development
- 16District 4 Public Health: Wastewater Management
Ready when you are
Griffin, Heron Bay or a farm road? We work all of Spalding.
Tell us where the property is and what is happening. We give free on-site estimates and handle the District 4 paperwork when a permit is needed.
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