The drought shows few signs of giving Atlanta a break, and, on Tuesday, neither did Georgia water czar Carol Couch.

She said she was lifting a mandate to utilities in 61 North Georgia counties to reduce water use by 10 percent, and she may even allow those utilities to use more water this summer from reservoirs that refilled over the winter.

But that deal — said Couch, director of the Georgia Environmental Protection Division — extends only to about 200 North Georgia utilities and communities that don't rely on Lake Lanier for their water.

It excludes the city of Atlanta; Fulton, Cobb, DeKalb, Gwinnett and Forsyth counties; and other municipalities in metro Atlanta that rely on Lanier for the estimated 600 million gallons of water metro Atlanta consumes each day — 65 percent of it originating from Lake Lanier.

The reason for that, Couch told a meeting of the State Drought Response Committee, is Lanier is 13 feet below full, the lowest point the lake has ever been at this time of year in its more than 50-year history.

"I am not recommending that we extend this opportunity to petition [the EPD to take more water out this summer from] Lake Lanier," she said.

Couch also eased water restrictions through parts of South Georgia and Middle Georgia, and removed six counties — Muscogee, Harris, Spalding, Butts, Jasper and Greene — from the Level 4, no outdoor water restrictions that have been in place since last October.

She said in the 55 remaining Level 4 North Georgia counties — which includes metro Atlanta — EPD people would still allow outdoor watering exceptions for new landscaping, and the refilling of swimming pools.

Only about 12 utilities, including the city of Atlanta, and Fulton, DeKalb and Gwinnett counties, will not be able to petition for lighter restrictions. But like the rest of North Georgia, those utilities are not going to be held to a legal requirement to reduce their water use by 10 percent.

Sally Bethea, executive director of the Upper Chattahoochee Riverkeeper, which advocates for tougher regulations to protect the river, disagreed with Couch's decision.

"To take any restrictions away going into another long, hot summer is irresponsible," Bethea said.

Couch praised utility systems for reducing consumption by 10 percent which, she said, partly accounted for many reservoirs in North Georgia refilling.

"Many local governments have been proactive in making improvements in their water systems," said Couch. "As a result, they are better prepared for drought, and the petition process offers some flexibility in how water is managed at the local level."

State climatologist David Stooksbury opened the meeting with a discouraging forecast.

"Barring tropical weather, drought conditions are expected to worsen through October," he told the group of about 100 politicians, state and federal regulators and reporters gathered for the two-hour meeting.

In some places, Stooksbury said, displaying charts on soil moisture, ground water, rain and stream flow levels, conditions are worse this year than last — including Lake Lanier.

Couch said the EPD will give utility companies guidelines by May 15 for them to ask for permits to use more water this summer. The EPD will rule by June 6.