Athens — Landscape architect Kevin Kirsche was concerned about the amount of water his family was using. So last month he turned off the water lines to the toilets in his house.

Now, his morning routine includes collecting a small bucket of water while the shower is warming. After soaping and rinsing himself in the shower, he uses the water in the bucket to brush his teeth and shave before pouring this water into the toilet tank.

Todd R. McQueen/Special

Biskin shows off her new toilet which will help conserve water.

Todd R. McQueen/Special (ENLARGE)

Artist Jill Biskin uses recycled water in her garden as a drought-measure.

• Photos:The drought in Athens MORE ON THE DROUGHT: • Map: Heavy demands on our water • Photos: April showers bring ... • Photos: Lake rises dramatically in January RELATED: State lifts strict outdoor watering restrictions  Ban lifted on new Lake Lanier boat docks  Drought's over and Lake Lanier gets lively  Water wars judge stays patient, with Atlanta's future in his hands  Judge: Lanier use should have been decided long ago  • More on coping with the drought

At first, his three children thought the practice was strange, but they've become accustomed to it. They've also gotten used to not flushing regularly. Kirsche, 35, admits there's an odor in the bathroom from "mellowing" urine, but said "we now feel like we're doing a better job of conserving water."

The Kirsches are among the thousands of Athens residents trying to conserve water.

Local officials last fall began planning for this year's drought, trying to determine the best way to manage the city's water resources. Along with Oconee, Jackson and Barrow counties, Athens-Clarke County depends on the Bear Creek Reservoir for water, and it's rapidly shrinking.

The Upper Oconee Water Basin Authority, which manages Bear Creek, has asked state environmental officials for permission to continue withdrawing water for another 45 days from the Middle Oconee River. The authority is currently operating under a 45-day permit that expires Monday.

If the permit is extended, there will be water in the Bear Creek Reservoir until the middle of winter, said county manager Alan Reddish. If not, the reservoir could be expended by the end of January. This prediction is based on there being no rain and no further significant water conservation efforts.

Athens has limited outdoor water use all year, asking people to reduce incrementally. After completely banning outdoor watering on Sept. 17, the city's management team called for further limits.

Methods vary from simple — running dish washers and washing machines less often — to more creative and extreme measures in Athens households, and businesses.

The Athens Family Dental clinic placed two portable toilets in its parking lot for its 30 employees.

"We're encouraging them to use them," said office manager Brenda Zareie. "It's not mandatory. Not yet."

DePalma's, a local Italian restaurant, serves food on paper plates and uses plastic cups and utensils to cut down on washing.

Mostly though, personal routines for many have changed.

Some admit to just showering every two or three days, or are spending less time in the shower. Others say they're flushing their toilets with rain water or water captured in the shower. You can see rain barrels — store-bought or homemade — under downspouts around town.

Tanna Nicholson, who's in her early 70's, collects rain water in plastic garbage cans. Since early September, she's seen her monthly water bill drop from $47 to $31.

It's not surprising, given that her showers are more like sponge baths. She flushes her toilet only occasionally, using shower water for flushing. She even recycles her cats' water.

"It's not that hard to do," said Nicholson, who has lived in her Five Points home in Athens for more than 30 years. "We all have to pitch in and make a few changes."

The changes are more than necessary.

Gov. Sonny Perdue's Oct. 24 order that counties dramatically reduce their water use stunned Athens officials, said Mayor Heidi Davison. He told all counties experiencing a Level 4 drought to drop their water consumption by 10 percent over the average for last winter.

"It was a blanket order ... It doesn't recognize what we've already achieved," said Davison.

Nevertheless, county manager Reddish believes Athens can reach 35 percent through voluntary conservation measures.

"People understand this is important and are responding," he said.

Pat McAlexander, who teaches at the University of Georgia, has been buying baby wipes for weeks to clean her hands. She keeps a box of wipes in the kitchen and another in the bathroom.

Local plumber Robert Redmond has been installing low-flow toilets "like a madman," he said. In seasons past, he would put in a low-flow toilet only when an older toilet broke, perhaps one every six weeks.

This past month, he said, he has installed seven low-flow toilets. Older toilets use 3.5 gallons per flush, while low-flows take only 1.6 gallons, he said.

When outdoor watering was banned, artist Jill Biskin gave up trying to save her entire garden. Some drought-tolerant plants have survived. She has managed to sustain other plants by reusing water.

On the days when she takes a bath, she uses a garden hose to siphon water from the tub through a window outside to a 20-gallon trashcan below. From there, she hand waters a few plants.

"But I would say my garden is dying," said Biskin. "Gardening is a luxury, it's not a necessity."

WHAT THEY'RE DOING IN ATHENS

Here are just a few things residents and businesses are doing to conserve water in Athens, where the water ban started Sept. 17 and water use is expected to drop 35 percent, compared to earlier this year.

•Toilets being flushed, but not very often, with saved shower water in some households

•Baby wipes taking the place of soap and water

•Portable toilets offered to employees at at least one business

•Restaurants using disposable plates and cups

•Rain barrels spotted around town

•Not showering daily

•Reusing cat water

•Siphoning used bath water

THE STORY SO FAR

What's happened? Athens has been in a severe drought crisis for several months, and public officials and citizens have taken extreme measures. By Oct. 22, Athens had dropped its daily water use by 28 percent. From 19.45 million gallons a day in April, customers in late October were using 14.46 million gallons a day.

What's new? Athens residents and officials are cutting back even more to try to meet the governor's mandate that drought-plagued counties cut 10 percent of their water use compared to last winter. This week the daily consumption had dropped almost another two percent.

What's ahead? Athens must meet the governor's mandate by Dec. 1. When this goal is met, the city will have dropped the amount of water it consumes by 35 percent since April. Instead of 19.45 million gallons a day, Athens will be using 13.5 million gallons.

INFO ON BEAR CREEK RESERVOIR

Size: 505 acres

Current capacity: As of Oct. 31, it was 12.85 feet below full pool.

Catchment area: Bear Creek Reservoir is a pump storage facility. Water is pumped to it from the Middle Oconee River. As a pump storage facility, it doesn't have a catchment area as Lake Lanier does.

Number of people served: 261,918

How long it would take to recover if rains returned to normal: If Athens receives 70 percent of normal rainfall, and if this rain is distributed across a normal curve (meaning, rain weekly or every two weeks in the winter months), the Bear Creek Reservoir should be filled by April. In non-drought times, Athens also withdraws water from the North Oconee River.