Area declared in Level 1 Drought
Walker, Dade, Chattooga and Catoosa are among the 53 counties where persistent dry conditions have prompted the Georgia Environmental Protection Division (EPD) to declare a Level 1 Drought Response.
A Level 1 Drought Response declaration means local water utilities in the affected counties will be required to begin a public information campaign to help citizens better understand drought, its impact on water supplies and the need for water conservation.
“A Level 1 Drought Response is a good opportunity to partner with our public water utilities to promote good stewardship and to remind Georgians of the importance of using water wisely,” said EPD Director Richard Dunn.
According to the federal government’s U.S. Drought Monitor, varying degrees of drought impact about two-thirds of the state.
This Level I declaration is for Banks, Barrow, Bartow, Butts, Carroll, Catoosa, Chattooga, Cherokee, Clarke, Clayton, Cobb, Coweta, Dade, Dawson, DeKalb, Douglas, Fannin, Fayette, Floyd, Forsyth, Fulton, Gilmer, Gordon, Gwinnett, Habersham, Hall, Haralson, Harris, Heard, Henry, Houston, Jackson, Lamar, Lumpkin, Meriwether, Morgan, Murray, Newton, Oconee, Paulding, Pickens, Pike, Polk, Rockdale, Spalding, Troup, Twiggs, Union, Walker, Walton, White, Whitfield and Wilkinson counties.
Nearly all of the counties affected by the Level 1 Drought Response declaration are experiencing severe and extreme drought conditions, officials said.
“North Georgia has had a hot, dry summer and the fall season is historically a dry time of the year,” State Climatologist Bill Murphey said. “Current drought conditions are likely to continue through the fall season, although tropical activity and rain-producing systems can provide beneficial rainfall.”
The Water Stewardship Act of 2010 remains in place statewide, and has several provisions that mandate water use restrictions:
Landscape watering is allowed only between 4 p.m. and 10 a.m.
Personal food gardens may be watered any time.
You may use a handheld hose with automatic cutoff nozzle to water plants anytime.
Soaker hoses and drip irrigation are allowed to water plants anytime.
Newly planted landscapes may be watered for 30 days.
Sports fields and golf courses may be watered any time.
Commercial agriculture operations as defined by state Code Section 1-3-3 are exempt.
According to a release from the Walker County Rural Water and Sewer Authority, the particular wording used indicates that the use of sprinklers in the daytime and the evaporation associated with sprinklers and daytime use is where the most water would be lost.
Though this area has been declared a “disaster area” for agriculture purposes, that terminology has not been applied to public water systems. Should this take place there will be more severe restrictions. By conserving now, officials say such disaster designation may be avoided.
Level 1 also emphasizes that residential and commercial custom- ers should check for and repair any leaks, either inside or outside. It is also noted that tap water should not be left running when shaving, brushing teeth and while washing face or hands.