Henry W. Grady House · Photo: Fred D. Nichols, Photographer · Public domainLiving in Athens, GA: what to set up and who to call
Athens-Clarke Co Water System reported 2 health-based violations to EPA in the last five years: disinfection byproducts (TTHM) ×2. 86% of systems its size reported none. The dump is the town’s own: Center for Hard to Recycle Materials, 1005 College Avenue, open Tue 7 am–1 pm, Wed 12 pm–6 pm, Fri–Sat 7 am–1 pm by OpenStreetMap’s listing.
I’m new in town
What to set up in Athens, and who provides it. Tap an answer for the details and where they come from.
Power, water and internet
Who to call to start service at a new address in Athens.
Power comes from Georgia Power
Georgia Power (Georgia Power Co), an investor-owned utility, serves all of Athens. Its homes paid an average of 16.3¢ per kWh in 2025, about $161 a month (its average across Georgia).
Service territory: HIFLD Electric Retail Service Territories (map dated Aug 2023). Prices and customers: EIA-861, 2025.
Water comes from Athens-Clarke Co Water System
Athens-Clarke Co Water System supplies almost all of Athens. It draws surface water and serves 125,000 people in all.
2 health-based violations reported to EPA in the five years to October 2026: disinfection byproducts (TTHM) ×2, the latest beginning Jul 2022. 86% of the 332 systems serving 100,001–250,000 people had none.
The latest lead result on file, the 90th percentile of homes sampled in Jan 2022–Dec 2024, was 3.5 ppb, below the 15 ppb action level that applied. That’s higher than 83% of similar systems’ latest results.
The system’s full record: EPA ECHO report
EPA SDWIS via Envirofacts (violations pulled Oct 9, 2026) and ECHO (lead samples, 2026Q3); service area: EPA Community Water System Service Area Boundaries v3.0. Violations are counted by the start of their compliance period. GA0590000.
5 home internet providers serve Athens
98% of 35,037 addresses can get 100/20 Mbps; 46% can get fiber.
| Provider | Technology | Addresses | Fastest (Mbps) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spectrum | Cable, Fiber | 95% | 1,000/50 |
| AT&T | Fiber, DSL, Fixed wireless | 80% | 5,000/5,000 |
| Xfinity | Cable, Fiber | 3% | 2,000/250 |
| Verizon | Fixed wireless | 68% | 300/20 |
| T-Mobile | Fixed wireless | 53% | 100/20 |
FCC National Broadband Map, as of December 2025. Availability as providers report it, not speeds people get.
Center for Hard to Recycle Materials is open Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday
Where to take trash and recycling in Athens, and where the rules are.
Center for Hard to Recycle Materials
1005 College Avenue, Athens, 30601
- Tue7 am–1 pm
- Wednoon–6 pm
- Fri7 am–1 pm
- Sat7 am–1 pm
Hours from OpenStreetMap, last updated Mar 2024. They can change with the season, so check with the town before you go.
Drop-off hours: OpenStreetMap. © OpenStreetMap contributors.
Town hall and registering to vote
Who to call, and how to register.
Election office: FVAP local election office directory, updated Nov 2025; jurisdictions: EAC EAVS 2024. Registration rules and links: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
Athens spans 8 ZIP codes
ZIP codes where Athens residents live, with the share of the town in each.
| ZIP | Post office name | Share of Athens | ZIP’s residents in Athens |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30605 | Athens, GA | 33% | 100% |
| 30606 | Athens, GA | 33% | 90% |
| 30601 | Athens, GA | 19% | 98% |
| 30607 | Athens, GA | 7% | 74% |
| 30683 | Winterville, GA | 3% | 56% |
| 30609 | Athens, GA | 2% | 100% |
| 30622 | Bogart, GA | 2% | 20% |
| 30602 | Athens, GA | 1% | 100% |
A few homes fall in 30646.
Census 2020 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas, by census block; post office names: GeoNames (CC BY 4.0). ZIPs created since 2020 are missing.
Getting around, the ER and the library
One line each; the subject pages have the rest.
ER: CMS hospital data. Library: IMLS Public Libraries Survey, FY2024.
Questions about living in Athens
When is the Center for Hard to Recycle Materials open?
Tue 7 am–1 pm; Wed 12 pm–6 pm; Fri–Sat 7 am–1 pm, according to OpenStreetMap (as of Oct 9, 2026). The town sets the hours and who may use it.
Who supplies Athens’ drinking water, and has it had violations?
Athens-Clarke Co Water System (EPA ID GA0590000). It reported 2 health-based violations to EPA in the five years to October 2026: disinfection byproducts (TTHM) ×2. 86% of systems its size had none. Its latest lead 90th percentile was 3.5 ppb (Jan 2022–Dec 2024), against a 15 ppb action level.
Who provides electricity in Athens?
Georgia Power (Georgia Power Co), an investor-owned utility. Its homes paid about 16.3¢ per kWh in 2025 (EIA).
What internet providers serve Athens?
Spectrum, AT&T, Xfinity, Verizon, T-Mobile (FCC, as of December 2025).
What ZIP codes are in Athens?
30605 (33%), 30606 (33%), 30601 (19%), 30607 (7%), 30683 (3%), 30609 (2%), 30622 (2%), 30602 (1%), by share of residents. Census 2020 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas.
How do I register to vote in Athens?
In Georgia you can register online until 29 days before Election Day, in person until 29 days before Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 29 days before). Elections here are run by the Athens-Clarke County Board of Elections. Check your registration at mvp.sos.ga.gov.
Sources & dates
Every answer above names its source. Here they are with their dates.
- Water: EPA SDWIS (Envirofacts, pulled Oct 9, 2026), ECHO SDWA 2026Q3, EPA CWS Service Area Boundaries v3.0.
- Power: HIFLD Electric Retail Service Territories (map Aug 2023); EIA-861 final 2025.
- Trash: OpenStreetMap, Geofabrik extract of Oct 9, 2026. © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL).
- ZIP codes: Census 2020 ZCTA relationship files; GeoNames postal codes (CC BY 4.0).
- Schools: NCES Common Core of Data, 2024–25.
- Registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024 (read Oct 10, 2026). Official sites and area codes: Wikidata.
- Election office: FVAP local election office directory (fetched Oct 10, 2026; each record dated), EAC EAVS 2024 jurisdictions; registration and lookup links from vote.gov’s state data, checked Oct 10, 2026.
- Internet: FCC National Broadband Map, as of December 2025.