Macon
Macon, GA water profile — supply sources, drought status, wastewater reuse, and the key water issues facing the city.
macon water authority
surface water (rivers/reservoirs) · local government · PWSID GA0210001
Below EPA's 15 ppb lead action level at last testing.
Source: EPA Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS) · 2026 Q1
Macon, GA is a small but growing city, with a population near 91,351 and the 7th-largest community in Georgia. Like much of Georgia, Macon draws its water primarily from Chattahoochee River, Lake Lanier, and Floridan aquifer.
Macon's water outlook is shaped most by drought — the issue that dominates planning across Georgia. Decades of 'water wars' litigation with Alabama and Florida over the Chattahoochee shape metro Atlanta's supply planning.
Macon sits in a state that reuses roughly 11% of treated wastewater (developing programs) and currently experiences severe to extreme drought.
For the bigger picture, see the Georgia state water profile and the related issues below.
Bibb County water quality
Source: EPA SDWIS · 2026 Q1
At a glance
- Population ~91,351 (7th-largest in Georgia)
- Primary sources: Chattahoochee River, Lake Lanier, and Floridan aquifer
- Drought: severe to extreme conditions
- State reuse rate: ~11% of wastewater
Statewide drought history
% of Georgia in severe+ drought (Extreme (D3) now).
Source: U.S. Drought Monitor
Common questions
Is tap water safe in Macon?
Macon's largest water system, MACON WATER AUTHORITY, serves about 130,024 people. EPA records show 0 health-based violation(s) since 2016 and a most-recent 90th-percentile lead level of 1.4 ppb (EPA action level is 15 ppb). Always check your own provider's annual Consumer Confidence Report.
Where does Macon get its water?
MACON WATER AUTHORITY draws primarily from surface water (rivers/reservoirs), part of Georgia's supply from Chattahoochee River, Lake Lanier, Floridan aquifer.
Related water issues
Drought
Much of the American West is in a multi-decade dry period that researchers describe as the most severe in over a millennium, reshaping how communities plan for water.
ExploreAgricultural Demand
Agriculture accounts for the majority of consumptive water use in the West, making farm efficiency and water markets central to any supply solution.
ExploreAging Infrastructure
Much of America's water infrastructure is decades past its design life, leaking trillions of gallons a year and demanding hundreds of billions in reinvestment.
Explore