Agricultural Water Withdrawals

Primary: (229) 391-2400

Visit: (details)

531 Main St., Suite D
Tifton, GA 31794

The Georgia Environmental Protection Division, Agricultural Water Withdrawal Program is comprised of the Agricultural Permitting Unit, Agricultural Compliance Unit, and Agricultural Metering Unit. Together these units are responsible for drafting permits for agricultural water withdrawals and ensuring agricultural water withdrawal compliance throughout the State of Georgia.

Permitting

The Agricultural Permitting Unit is responsible for processing agricultural water withdrawal requests, identifying withdrawals that are in restricted and/or conservation use areas, and maintaining permit and application data.

If you want to apply for a new withdrawal or modify an existing Agricultural Water Withdrawal Permit, click here to access our application forms. Once directed to the next page, the applications will be under the “Agricultural” section. If you have questions about which application you should use, please contact our office at 229-391-2400 or [email protected]. When you contact us, please have the GIS coordinates for the intended or existing water withdrawals available.
If you would like a copy of your permit or would like more information about your permit or application, please contact our office at 229-391-2400 or [email protected]. Please have the application or permit number and/or the withdrawal coordinates readily available.

Agricultural Water Withdrawal Forms

Click here to access agricultural water withdrawal permitting forms. Once directed to the next page, the agricultural related forms will be listed under the “Agricultural” section. Please refer to your Letter of Concurrence, if issued, to determine which forms you need and should return to our office. If you have any questions regarding the forms, please contact our office at 229-391-2400 or [email protected].
Click hereto access the current, active licensed Water Well Contractor list and certified Pump Contractor list.

Agricultural Water Withdrawal Permits

Click here to access the Agricultural Water Withdrawal Permit List. Once redirected, the documents that contain the agricultural withdrawal permits will be listed under the “Water Withdrawal” section. Please note, the KMZ formatted file is made to load into Google Earth.

Compliance

The Agricultural Compliance Unit works to maintain and improve flows throughout Georgia by conducting compliance work.

If you have received a compliance letter in the mail, please contact our office at 229-391-2400 or [email protected].
- If you intend to call our office, please have the compliance case numbers and request to speak to the person referenced in the letter.
- If you intend to email our office, please include the compliance case numbers in the subject line.
If you intend to meet in person about your compliance case, the Agricultural Compliance Unit requests that you contact our office by email or phone call to schedule a meeting. Staff are always available to meet with you in our Tifton Office without an appointment during normal business hours (8AM-4:30PM, Monday – Friday), however please know, the staff member that is working on your case may not be present.

Metering

The Agricultural Metering Unit’s objective is to obtain accurate metering readings from agricultural water withdrawals and to utilize these readings to improve understanding of agricultural water use in Georgia.

If you have questions about meter requirements or about whether a meter is installed to manufacturer specifications, please contact the Agricultural Metering Unit at 229-391-2400 or [email protected].
If you have received a letter from the Agricultural Metering Unit, please contact our office or the person referenced in the letter by email or call. Please have your permit or application number readily available when calling.
If you would like an in-person meeting, please contact our office by email or phone to schedule a meeting.
If you have an emergency with a meter or have a telemetry unit in need of repair, please call our office immediately with the GPS coordinates of your site and we will send a field specialist to your location. Please be available in case the field specialist needs you to turn off or turn on your system to ensure the site is functioning properly.

Click here to access agricultural metering forms. Once directed to the next page, the agricultural metering forms will be listed under the “Agricultural” section. If you have any questions concerning forms, please contact our office at 229-391-2400 or [email protected].

If your withdrawals are within the 2012 Flint River Basin Suspension Area, please refer to our Required Meters for Drought Restriction and Volumetric Permits document to determine the meter requirements for your permit. Permittees with drought restrictions or volumetric limits must purchase and install a pre-approved telemetry capable meter on each and every permitted withdrawal. Each meter must be installed to manufacturer specifications to ensure proper calculation of water usage for the site. Once installed, please submit an EPD Meter Approval Form. Water usage may not commence until your meter has been approved by the Environmental Protection Division.

Modification of the 2012 Flint River Basin Suspension Area

On April 1st, 2025, the Environmental Protection Division began accepting applications for new “Drought Restricted” Floridan Aquifer groundwater withdrawals and applications to permit existing groundwater or surface water withdrawals. Applicants can apply for existing withdrawals which have been in use prior to the 2012 Flint River Suspension (July 30, 2012) in areas identified as Green and Yellow Zones in the 2006 Flint River Basin Regional Water Development and Conservation Plan (2006 FRB Plan). Applicants can apply for existing withdrawals which have been in use prior to the 1999 Flint River Basin Moratorium (December 1, 1999) in areas identified as Red Zones in the 2006 FRB Plan. Applications for surface water withdrawal permits will not be accepted for surface water withdrawals that were or are intended to be installed after July 30, 2012. Permits with drought restrictions require the water user to cease withdrawing from the Floridan aquifer when drought conditions are identified. The water user may use an alternate permitted source at that time if they have one available for use without drought restrictions. Please see below section for details on drought restriction determination.

On April 1st, 2025, the Environmental Protection Division also began accepting applications to modify existing permits. Applicants can apply for pump capacity or acreage modifications that were established prior to the 2012 Flint River Suspension (July 30, 2012) in areas identified as Green and Yellow Zones in the 2006 FRB Plan or prior to the 1999 Flint River Basin Moratorium (December 1, 1999) in areas identified as Red Zones in the 2006 FRB Plan. Acreage modification of this nature will only be approved if the current irrigated acreage meets the criteria previously established and the acreage has remained unchanged. In the event the current irrigated acreage was established after the dates specified above or if the applicant would like to increase the permitted acreage or pump capacity, EPD will accept applications to convert existing groundwater or surface water permits to “Volumetric” permits or to convert existing groundwater permits to “Drought Restricted” permits. Permits that contain surface water withdrawals are not eligible for “Drought Restricted” permits, unless the surface water withdrawals are part of an off-stream well to pond system.

Click here for more information about which zone of the 2006 FRB Plan your withdrawal is located in. Once directed to the next page, view the “Conservation Use Area Maps listed under the “Agricultural” section or contact our office at 229-391-2400 or [email protected].
If you have any questions about water sources or permits affected by the Modification to the 2012 Flint River Basin Suspension Area, would like to apply for a new or modified permit, or would like to schedule a meeting with an EPD representative, please contact our office at 229-391-2400 or [email protected].

Drought Restriction Determination for 2012 Flint River Basin Suspension Area

EPD will use data from 15 USGS monitoring wells located in the 2012 Flint River Basin Suspension Area. EPD developed a trigger: if any five of the 15 wells fall below their monthly 10th percentile water level, the entire suspension area is placed under drought restrictions. This will only affect users with “Drought Restricted” permits in the suspension area which require the water user to cease withdrawing from the Floridan aquifer when drought conditions are identified. The water user may use an alternate permitted source at that time if they have one available for use without drought restrictions.

EPD will make a drought restriction determination daily. This determination will be posted to the GA FIT website. Please Click here to view the daily drought restriction determination and sign-up for email and text notifications on drought restrictions.

Source Switching Project

In 2022, the Department of Natural Resources-Environmental Protection Division and the Georgia Water Planning and Policy Center were awarded $49,800,000 to support flows throughout the Flint River Basin during droughts. Through this project, eligible agricultural surface water withdrawal permit holders can apply to have deep aquifer groundwater withdrawals installed to supplement or replace their permitted surface water withdrawals during drought.

Click here to be directed to the Source Switching Project official website for more information.

Frequently Asked Questions

When do I need an Agricultural Water Withdrawal Permit?

An Agricultural Water Withdrawal Permit is needed for any person who withdraws more than 100,000 gallons per day from surface water or groundwater. Generally, groundwater systems that have casing of internal diameter of more than four inches and capable of producing 100,000 gallons per day (or greater than 69 gpm) require permits, as well as surface water systems that pump in excess of 100,000 gallons per day on a monthly average.

When applying for my proposed agricultural withdrawal should I include a property deed with my application?

If you have recently purchased the property and/or the property ownership has not been updated on the tax assessor website, the Agricultural Permitting Unit will need a copy of the property deed to process your application.

How do I determine the well depth and casing depth for my intended well installation?

The Agricultural Permitting Unit suggests you contact your selected Water Well Contractor to inquire about these depths. Click here to access the current, active licensed Water Well Contractor list and certified Pump Contractor list.

How do I determine the pumping capacity (GPM) for my intended well and/or surface water pump?

The Agricultural Permitting Unit suggests you contact your selected irrigation dealer to inquire what pumping capacity the intended source(s) will need to operate your future/installed irrigation system.

Who should I contact to complete my Low Flow Plan if I am unable to complete it myself?

The Agricultural Water Withdrawal Permitting Unit suggests that you contact a consulting firm and/or your local county extension agent.

Who is responsible for completing the Meter Approval Form?

The Meter Approval Form can be completed by anyone. When installing and filling out the Meter Approval Form, please make sure to follow the meter manufacturer’s installation instructions. If you have any questions about installation requirements, please contact the Agricultural Metering Unit.

What photos do I need to submit with my Meter Approval Form?

Please submit a picture documenting the serial number, the meter face, and a picture of the meter with the surrounding pipe documenting the entire well system. The Agricultural Metering Unit requests each photo is labeled with the corresponding application or permit number.

How long should I expect to wait for my permit to be approved and issued?

Once all required forms, listed on the issued Letter of Concurrence, have been received and approved, it may take up to a few months to receive an approved permit in the mail.

What should I do if my withdrawal is not appearing on the Google Earth layer?

You should contact the Agricultural Permitting Unit by email or phone call to determine why the withdrawal is not appearing. The Agricultural Permitting Unit requests that you provide coordinates for the withdrawal in the email or during the phone conversation.

What should I do if I believe I have an undocumented withdrawal on my property?

You should apply for a permit for the undocumented withdrawal. Please contact our office by email or phone (229-391-2400 or [email protected]) to identify the type of permit you are eligible for. If able, the Agricultural Compliance Unit will complete an evaluation of the existing withdrawal and, if approved, issue a Letter of Concurrence.

Who do I contact if I am having issues with the construction of my agricultural well or the pump installed in my well?

If the well was constructed less than two years ago and/or if the pump was installed less than one year ago, you can contact the Agricultural Water Withdrawal Program by email to submit an official complaint.

Who should I contact concerning the potential construction of a pond?

You should contact the NRCS and/or the United States Army Corps of Engineers. The contact information for both organizations can be found listed under “Related Contacts” on this website.