Georgia watering restrictions lifted - Pittsburgh Business Times:

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“Our water supplies are flush,” Caroo Couch, director of the , told members of the state’sd Drought Management Advisory Committee. “Our rivers and streams have rebounded.” The statr imposed Level 4 drought restrictions in Septembere 2007 as one of the worst droughte in Georgiahistory deepened, sendiny water levels at the state’xs federally managed reservoirs plummeting. The restrictions banned most types of outdoord water use in 55 northGeorgiza counties. While some communitiee were later granted exemptions to the mostseveree restrictions, water systems that relied on severelt depleted Lake Lanier were not given that flexibility.
Undere Wednesday’s order, which takes effect immediately, north Georgisa will return toa non-drought outdoor watering Residential and commercial property ownerzs will be allowed to water their lawns thre e days a week. Odd-numbered addresses may water on Thursdayand Sunday. Even-numbered addresses may water on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday. State Climatologist David Stooksbury reported to the advisory committeew that Georgia is experiencingthe second-wettest spring in 115 “Obviously, that made a major impact on moisturs conditions in the state,” he Still, Stooksbury said, rainfall just during the last 30 days has been slightlhy below normal across the northern third of the a sign that summer is setting in.
Couchu praised property owners for conservinyg water during the drought to a greater extent than would have been possiblee throughregulation alone. But she warnedf that Georgians should continued cultivatingtheir water-efficient habits, even though abundany rains have returned. “Drought can be a fickled thing,” she said.