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PUBLIC NOTICE
Click here for Oconee County and EPD’s New Water Use
Guidelines for Drought Level 4 Counties
GEORGIA ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION DIVISION
WATER USE ORDER
The Director of the
Environmental Protection Division of the Georgia
Department of Natural Resources, in consultation with
and at the direction of the Governor, has issued an
Order that allows for certain activities to resume in
the 61 counties designated as being under Drought Level
4 conditions. Please see the link below for a copy
of the order. Some activities authorized under
that order are effective immediately, some on March 15,
and others are affective April 1. Oconee County is
currently working to obtain clarification and should be
able to respond definitively early next week. All
new information will be posted on the Oconee County
website as soon as it is obtained.
Georgia EPD Water Use Order (PDF)
OCONEE COUNTY WATER ARTICLES
AS PRINTED IN
THE OCONEE ENTERPRISE
Article I -
November 15, 2007
Article II - November 21, 2007
Article III -
November 29, 2007
"USING WATER WISELY" - TIPS ON
CONSERVING
««««
TOTAL WATERING
BAN IN EFFECT
««««
Total Ban on Outdoor Watering
Declared as Drought Conditions Worsen
September
13, 2007 - With no end in sight to the drought gripping Georgia,
the Upper Oconee Basin Water Authority Operations Committee
voted today to issue a total ban on outdoor watering in all four
of its member counties effective Monday, September 17, 2007.
Citizens in
Athens-Clarke County, Barrow County, Jackson County, and Oconee
County will be restricted from outdoor watering because of
increasingly lower water levels in the 505-acre Bear Creek
Reservoir that serves those communities. These restrictions do
not include commercial and industrial use critical to the
conduct of businesses such as commercial car washes, tree farms,
and garden supply nurseries. Additional exemptions may be
granted by individual jurisdictions.
Drought conditions across Georgia have
worsened dramatically since the beginning of August, according
to state climatologist David
Stooksbury.* Widespread triple-digit high temperatures and very little rain
are cited as causing soil moisture levels to plummet, stream
flows to approach record lows, and groundwater and lake levels
to drop sharply.
Indicators
for the coming months are no better. Earlier this week, a La
Niña watch was issued by the Southeast Climate Consortium and
state climatologists in three states, including Georgia. La
Niña conditions usually bring a warmer and drier cool season
(October through March) to much of the Southeast. State
climatologists say this means there is a good chance that
drought conditions, currently ranging from exceptional across
much of Alabama and Georgia to moderate in south Florida, will
continue and possibly worsen throughout the winter and into next
spring.
The
Authority issued the total ban on outdoor watering in an effort
to preserve supplies that will be needed for public health and
safety uses as the drought continues.
For ideas on how to conserve water at home
and in the workplace, visit the State of Georgia’s website at
www.conservewatergeorgia.net.
For specific information concerning individual counties outdoor
water restrictions, citizens are asked to contact their local
water department (Oconee County Utility Department phone:
706-769-3960).
Oconee County Outdoor Watering Exemptions Effective Sept. 17,
2007
All new landscaping will have a 30-day exemption provided they
have a landscape exemption permit and honor the watering hours
of 12 midnight to 8:00 a.m. Anyone installing new landscaping
must obtain a permit – homeowners, general contractors,
landscape contractors, etc. Permits must be on the premises at
all times and readily available. Permits can be obtained from
the Oconee County Utility Department (free of charge). Watering
new landscaping without a permit may result in a $250.00 fine.
Georgia Department of Natural Resources Press
Release
Water Saving Tips
-
Run
your washing machine and dishwasher only when
full—you could save 1000 gallons a month.
-
Wash your produce in the sink or a partially filled
pan instead of running water from the tap.
-
Collect the water you use for rinsing produce and
reuse it to water houseplants.
-
Use
a broom instead of a hose to clean your driveway or
sidewalk & save 80 gallons of water.
-
Time your shower to keep it under 5 minutes — you'll
save up to 1000 gallons a month.
-
Grab a wrench and fix that leaky faucet — it's
simple, inexpensive, and can save 140 gallons a
week.
-
Put
food coloring in your toilet tank. If it seeps into
the toilet bowl, you have a leak. It's easy to fix,
and you can save more than 600 gallons a month.
-
Turn off the water while you brush your teeth and
save 4 gallons a minute.
-
Turn off the water while you shave and you can save
more than 100 gallons a week.
-
Designate one glass for your drinking water each day
— this will cut down on water for dishwashing.
-
When doing laundry, match the water level to the
size of the load.
-
Soak your pots and pans instead of letting the water
run while you scrape them clean.
-
Do
one thing each day that will save water. Even if
savings are small, every drop counts.
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