You can't water your lawn. Unless it was installed in the past 30 days by a licensed landscaper. You can't water your garden. Unless you're growing food for yourself.

The strict water-use regulations, implemented last week by the Georgia Environmental Protection Division to address the state's protracted drought, have left some metro Atlantans confused.

Just what is allowed under the new regulations?

Generally speaking, outdoor watering using water from public utilities isn't allowed. No washing your car — except at a commercial car wash. No filling home pools except to support the structure if necessary. No watering established lawns, regardless of whether it's at a home, business or other organization.

There are, however, exemptions. Below are some examples of things that are and aren't allowed under the state rules. But be careful: Local jurisdictions are free to put in place regulations that are more stringent than the state's. Check with your local water provider for details or to report violations. (See your water bill for contact information.)

PROHIBITED

• Outdoor watering by commercial establishments, such as banks or apartment complexes, or by homeowners associations.

• Nonprofit fund-raising car wash.

• Homeowners watering plants, grass or seeds that they installed themselves in the last 30 days.

• Water running in an outdoor fountain, including ones that recirculate the water.

• Washing a car, except at a commercial car wash.

• Pressure washing outdoors, if you are a homeowner, whether or not the washer is rented. It is allowed if it is done by a commercial professional washing business.

• Watering outdoors with unused water from a bathtub faucet.

ALLOWED

• Watering a personal food garden.

• Homeowner (or professional landscaper) watering plants, grass or seeds that a "certified or licensed" professional landscaper installed in the past 30 days. But a homeowner should have proof, such as receipts, showing the materials were professionally installed.

• Outdoor watering using a private well. It's OK because the restrictions apply only to water that comes from utilities permitted by the Georgia Environmental Protection Division. The EPD generally doesn't regulate private wells pumping less than 100,000 gallons a day. But the EPD does discourage people from overusing private wells for outdoor watering.

• Outdoor watering using water pumped from a pond, lake or river. As with private wells, it's legal but overuse is discouraged.

• Watering outdoors with used bathtub water, as long as it's in compliance with any local ordinances.

OTHER EXCEPTIONS

There are commercial exemptions, with some limitations, for professional landscapers, farmers, sod producers, irrigation system installers, hydroseeders, construction sites and others.

— Source: Georgia EPD spokesman Kevin Chambers