Governor Purdue Eases Outdoor Water Restriction Usage!!

Can you believe all this heat Peachtree City!!!  By the way, how is your landscaping looking around your homes and businesses these days?  Well even in the mist of these 90 degree scorchers, Governor Purdue recently announced that due to significant rainfall and improved water supplies the Georgia Environmental Protection Division (EPD) has issued a non-drought schedule for outdoor water use for the first time since June 2006. 

“Georgians have seen the most severe drought on record, and have proven their ability to conserve and manage our state’s most precious resource,” said Governor Purdue “We have become more educated about water conservation and have taken significant steps towards ensuring a long term solution.  I believe Georgians will continue to use our water resources wisely under this new outdoor watering schedule.”

Under a non-drought schedule, outdoor water use is allowed three days a  week on assigned days using odd and even-numbered addresses.  Odd-number addressed can water on Tuesday, Thursdays, and Sundays.  Even-numbered and unnumbered addresses are allowed to water on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays.  Water use may occur at any time of the day on the assigned days.  However, landscape watering is discouraged between 10am and 4pm because of its limited effectiveness.

The change in the state’s drought response was announced at a meeting of the State Drought Response Committee.  It is the first change since May 2008 when 55 north Georgia counties were under a level four drought response, which prohibits most types of outdoor water use.  Middle Georgia Counties were under a level two response, which limits water use to three days a week midnight to 10am.  South Georgia counties including the coastal region followed a level one drought response schedule, which allows watering three days a week midnight to 10am and 4pm to midnight.

Overall, north Georgians averaged monthly water savings of about 15% since November 2007.  These reductions come from citizens and Georgia businesses implementing a variety of conversation measures including waterSmart landscape principles and selecting more efficient indoor fixtures and devices.  Georgia’s collective vision for water efficiency is presented in the recently released Water Conservation Implementation Plan (WCIP).  Through the goals and the practices identified in the plan we can expect to continue to progress toward greater long-term water efficiency.  To get more information on waterSmart landscape principles and the Georgia WCIP, visit www.conservewatergeorgia.net.