Georgia EPD has announced a Level 1 Drought Response (indicated in yellow on the map below) for much of the state of Georgia, including 14 counties of the District, plus the customers served by Newnan Utilities. Georgia EPD and the Metro Water District encourage water conservation and water-saving habits and actions every day. In order to be responsible stewards of our water supply, residents are encouraged to take steps to conserve water in their homes and places of business, and are reminded to abide by the state’s permanent year-round outdoor watering restrictions, which limits outdoor watering to the hours between 4 p.m. and 10 a.m. to avoid the hottest part of the day when more evaporation occurs, with certain limited exceptions as set forth in the 2010 Georgia Water Stewardship Act.

There are several exceptions to this limitation listed at https://epd.georgia.gov/watershed-protection-branch/water-conservation.
For example, the following activities may be done at any time of day under a Level 1 Drought Response:

• Irrigation of personal food gardens may be done at any time of day;
• Irrigation of new and replanted plant, seed, or turf may be done at any time of day for 30 days after installation;
• Drip irrigation or irrigation using soaker hoses may be done at any time of day; and
• Hand watering with a hose with automatic cutoff or handheld container may be done at any time of day.

• Check and repair leaks inside and outside the home.
• Shorten showers and turn off water when shaving or brushing teeth.
• Fill dishwashers and washing machines. Make sure there is a full load every time.
• Using a rain gauge to determine how much it has rained over the week before watering outdoor plants. Most outdoor plants need an inch of water per week.
• Water in several short sessions instead of one long session. This reduces runoff and allows water to infiltrate into soil and plant roots.
• Only water lawns when needed. If the blades of grass don’t bounce back after walking across the lawn, it is time to water. Water lawns and plants in the early morning and late evening.

EPD maintains a web page to keep the public informed regarding drought indicators, current variances, and EPD actions regarding drought: https://epd.georgia.gov/about-us/watershed-protection-branch/drought-management. Water conservation information is available at https://epd.georgia.gov/watershed-protection-branch/water-conservation.

For more information on water restrictions go to www.epd.georgia.gov.

To learn about conservation tips, visit https://www.atlantawatershed.org/conservation/