Water Quality

All drinking water produced by the Sinclair Water Treatment Facility comes from Lake Sinclair, a 15,330-acre reservoir on the Oconee River in Putnam County, Georgia. The lake was formed by Sinclair Dam and is operated by Georgia Power Company as part of a hydroelectric project.

Lake Sinclair is classified as a Piedmont surface water source. Like most Georgia reservoirs, it naturally contains low levels of hardness and alkalinity, and its clarity can change seasonally — particularly after heavy rain, when suspended red clay sediment enters the lake and increases turbidity. The facility's treatment process is designed to handle these seasonal variations and consistently produce safe, clear, finished water regardless of conditions.

Georgia EPD approved Lake Sinclair as a public water supply source in October 2004 after reviewing chemical, physical, radiological, and microbiological water quality data. SWA draws raw water from an intake approximately 860 feet offshore, in deep water, and treats it through a ten-step process before it enters the distribution system.