If the state officially declares a drought, these restrictions kick in:
Level One drought: Requires public water systems to educate customers about conditions and encourage conservation.
Level Two drought: Limits outdoor watering to two days a week on a schedule based on address numbers. Even numbered addresses may water Wednesdays and Saturdays (4 p.m. to 10 a.m.); odd numbered addresses may water Thursdays and Sundays (4 p.m. to 10 a.m.). No water can be used for outdoor fountains, car washes or power washing of homes.
Level Three drought: Prohibits all outdoor landscape irrigation. Food gardens may be watered between 4 p.m. and 10 a.m. (Soaker hoses and drip irrigation may be used any time.) Hand watering and golf course irrigation are limited.
Although statewide watering restrictions haven’t been implemented, DeKalb County is urging its residents to conserve water in the face of an extreme drought in metro Atlanta.
“We are asking DeKalb County residents and business to proactively address these drought conditions by doing everything they can to conserve water,” Interim DeKalb CEO Lee May said Monday.
That means limiting outdoor watering to the hours between 4 p.m. and 10 a.m. to avoid the hottest part of the day and watering lawns according to the odd/even schedule outlined in the 2010 Georgia Water Stewardship Act, the Department of Watershed Management said.
Odd-numbered addresses can water on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays. Even-numbered and unnumbered addresses are allowed to water on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays.
Despite typical summer showers, metro Atlanta has seen 45 days of temperatures in the 90s, Channel 2 Action News said. The annual average is 37.
"According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, more than a third of Georgia is classified with at least moderate drought," meteorologist Brad Pugh said.
And much of metro Atlanta and northern corners of Georgia have been in an extreme drought much of July.
That is expected to persist well into early fall.
DeKalb County offers these tips to residents looking to save water:
— Use a rain gauge before watering outdoor plants. Most outdoor plants need an inch of water per week.
— Water lawns and plants in short sessions in the early morning and late evening. This reduces runoff and allows water to infiltrate soil and plant roots.
— More plants die from over watering than under watering. So check to see if the blades of grass bounce back after walking across the lawn. If they don’t, it is time to water them.
— Check for water leaks inside and outside, and repair them.
— Shorten showers and turn off water when shaving or brushing teeth.
— Fully fill dishwashers and washing machines before running them.
For more conservation tips, click here.
About the Author
