As of Friday, Sept. 28, Director Carol Couch of the Georgia Environmental Protection Division ordered the tightest watering restrictions available to her, banning virtually all residential outdoor water use in metro Atlanta and the rest of north Georgia.

A few local jurisdictions, including Cobb-Marietta Water Authority, already were at that level.

Several others have had a variety of lesser restrictions, such as allowing outdoor watering only at certain times on certain days.

The new restrictions mean no lawn watering, no pool-filling and no personal car-washing.

• Commercial watering: Commercial uses of water, such as by fruit and vegetable growers, retail garden centers, power washers, construction sites and carwashes, are exempt.

• Advice: Get more lawn and garden advice, including recent columns by Walter Reeves, on the AJC Home and Garden page, ajc.com/homeandgarden.