If you live in Gwinnett County, you should probably hold off on buying fertilizer for your mature azaleas.

Gwinnett officials announced Thursday they are going to continue to prohibit outdoor watering in most cases. But, as previously announced, the filling of swimming pools will be allowed.

In Gwinnett, only new or refurbished outdoor projects and plantings can be watered if they have been installed by a professional landscaper —- but only on a limited basis.

The county is taking a "wait-and-see approach" to the low water level in Lake Lanier, according to Jim Scarbrough, a technical adviser for the Gwinnett Department of Water Resources.

If North Georgia receives a lot of rain, and the water levels rise dramatically, or if the state relaxes its 10 percent water reduction rule, then things may change again, said Ron Peters, deputy department director.

The county will revisit its rules on March 31 and again on June 1, when various deadlines expire, Peters said. For now, the following rules are in effect:

> County residents may fill their pools from April 1 until Sept. 30.

> Certified or licensed landscapers, golf course contractors and sports turf landscapers may water a newly installed landscape for 10 of 30 days after installation.

> Wherever outdoor watering is occurring, a waterproof sign must be posted that is visible from the street. The sign should state the date of installation, the commercial firm's name, the property owner's phone number and the surface area being watered.

> A professional landscaper or the homeowner may water an existing lawn, turf or landscape after it has been replanted, conditioned, reseeded or aerated, but only for 10 of the 30 days following the initial installation.

> All watering must be done between midnight and 10 a.m. Those with odd-numbered addresses can be watered on Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday, and those with even numbered addresses can be watered on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.

> Hand-watering and sprinklers are both permitted.

The county government decided not to follow the state policy that allows the hand-watering of lawns and plants this spring. But county officials did follow the state policy on swimming pools.

Municipalities that buy water from Gwinnett County are following different rules:

> Braselton: Will follow the state and relax its rules. Swimming pools can be filled, new landscaping can be watered for 10 weeks with some restrictions and residential customers can hand-water for 25 minutes a day on an even-odd schedule.

> Loganville: Continues to ban outdoor watering within the city limits. No one can wash a vehicle or water a flower bed.

> Norcross: Policies have not changed. No outdoor watering is permitted, and the city hasn't yet made a decision on whether to allow swimming pools to be filled.

> Lawrenceville: Outdoor watering ban remains, though some contractors are exempt.

> Buford: Pools can be filled, but the city will continue to restrict other outdoor water use. City Commission Chairman Philip Beard said policies may be discussed at the March 3 council meeting.

HE SAID IT: "Once you let people do something, it's hard to take it away. Some people play golf, some have dogs, others have their yards and gardens. You don't want them to invest in that and then tell them later they can't water." —- Buford City Commission Chairman Philip Beard