Stay afloat on outdoor watering restrictions

Keeping up with changes to the outdoor watering rules is like simultaneously watching three March Madness basketball games and programming your DVR.

We’re here to help. For most metro Atlantans (including those who live in Bartow, Cobb, DeKalb, Douglas, Forsyth, Fulton, Gwinnett or Paulding counties), here’s what you need to know*:

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LOUIE FAVORITE / lfavorite@ajc.com

Some exceptions to watering bans are vegetables and vegetable gardens: These can be watered as needed, on any day.

MORE ON THE DROUGHT:
• Map: Heavy demands on our water
• Photos: April showers bring ...
• Photos: Lake rises dramatically in January


RELATED:
[an error occurred while processing this directive] • More on coping with the drought

No. 1: Water your landscape only on your scheduled day. Even after the drought is over and the outdoor watering restrictions are lifted, you will be allowed to water only on an odd-even schedule, based on your home or business address.

• Odd-numbered addresses water Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays; even-numbered addresses water Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays.

No. 2: We are under a Level IV Drought Response, which means you can water your petunias and oak trees for only a limited time.

• If you use a soaker hose or drip irrigation, water trees, shrubs and flowers for up to one hour before 10 a.m. on assigned days. You are not allowed to water your grass this way.

• If you only have a garden hose, you need to use the kind with a deadman’s switch and spray your landscape for up to 25 minutes before 10 a.m. on your assigned days. Using this method, you can water your entire landscape, including the grass.

•It’s OK to use both a soaker hose or drip irrigation and the garden hose, for the specified times.

No. 3: If you are planting a new landscape, which can be installed by the homeowner or a professional, you are allowed to use a sprinkler for 10 weeks for any length of time before 10 a.m. on your assigned days. But before you can use the more lenient rules for new plantings, homeowners each time must complete the Outdoor Water Use Registration Program on the Georgia Urban Agriculture Council Web site. The convenience charge is $4.95.

No. 4: Don’t forget the exemptions!

• Vegetables and vegetable gardens. If you are growing vegetables, you are allowed to water those plants as needed, on any day of the week.

• If you withdraw water from a well or use recycled water, you can water any time, although less water evaporates in the early morning and late evening.

• Water may be used to water-in pesticides and herbicides.

No. 5: Some outdoor watering activities are still illegal, including washing your own car at home and operating an ornamental water fountain or pond that does not have fish in it. Water-dependent businesses such as commercial car washes and power-washers, and fountains that support aquatic life are exempt from the rules.

It’s OK to fill your swimming pool whenever you want.

* More liberal outdoor watering rules apply for Bartow, Carroll, Cherokee, Clayton, Coweta, Fayette, Henry and Rockdale counties. Contact your water provider for more information.

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BY THE NUMBERS

3,000,000-plus: Metro Atlantans dependent on Lake Lanier for their water

10: How many feet below full Lake Lanier is

6: How many feet Lanier has risen since Jan. 1

120 billion: How many more gallons of water Lanier needs to fill up

325 million: Daily average amount of gallons metro Atlanta withdrew from Lanier and the Chattahoochee River last month

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BETTER DAYS AHEAD

Metro Atlanta is starting the fourth year of what many consider to be a historic drought. It has included some of the lowest rainfall and streamflows on record, and a record low level for Lake Lanier.

But according to the U.S. Drought Monitor and the Climate Prediction Center, the drought’s grip loosened somewhat this winter and is expected to show some improvement through June.