Water restrictions loosened in Georgia

New watering rules give Georgians more flexibility in their watering habits. Effective June 1, they can now run automated irrigation systems, lawn sprinklers or water by hand daily as long as they do so from 4 p.m. until 10 a.m.

Under the Georgia Water Stewardship Act (SB370), the new rules state that outdoor water can be applied daily during the specified hours for the purposes of planting, growing, managing or maintaining ground cover, trees, shrubs or other plants.

What is called gray water or reclaimed waste water can be used any time for irrigation. Water from private wells or surface water used by the owner or operator of such wells or surface water is also allowed any time.

Water can also be applied with no time or day limits for the following outdoor uses:
Agricultural operations.
Personal food gardens.
New or replanted plant, seed or turf in landscapes, golf courses, or sports turf fields during installation and for a period of 30 days immediately following installation.
Drip irrigation or soaker hoses.
Hand-watering with a hose with automatic cutoff or handheld container (including chemical applications).
Horticultural crops held for sale, resale or installation.
Athletic fields, golf courses or public recreational areas.
Installation, maintenance or calibration of irrigation systems.
Hydroseeding.

The odd-even day schedule remains in effect for nonlandscape outdoor water use like pressure washing by homeowners, car washing at home or for charity, hosing driveways, outdoor cleaning or topping-off pools.

Even addresses may water on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday. Odd addresses water on Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday.

Even though Georgia’s drought is in the past and the water restrictions have been loosened, University of Georgia Cooperative Extension experts encourage homeowners to keep a water-saving mindset.

“During the summer months, outdoor municipal water use increases between 30 to 50 percent,” said UGA Cooperative Extension turfgrass specialist Clint Waltz. “Most of this is from outdoor uses like filling swimming pools, washing cars and watering lawns and landscapes.”

To conserve water, Waltz offers homeowners the following tips:
Select plants that match light conditions and require less water.
Match surface and soil drainage conditions to plant moisture requirements.
Choose plants that grow well in your area.
Preserve established plants. They have an extensive root system and require less water than newly planted ones.
Space plants with their mature size in mind to reduce competition.
Concentrate seasonal color in small, high-impact areas to reduce overall water requirements.
Avoid constructing raised beds under trees due to root competition for water.
Develop a landscape plan before designing an irrigation system.
Incorporate shade trees in the landscape to reduce evaporative water loss.
Select and group plants according to their water needs.
Divide the landscape into water-use zones. Avoid small, irregular-shaped island plantings in turfgrass areas. They are difficult to irrigate.
Consider irrigation sprinklers when designing turfgrass areas or planting beds.
Move or eliminate plants not suited to existing site.

For more information, contact your local UGA Extension office at 1-800-ASK-UGA1.




By Sharon Dowdy
University of Georgia

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Registered Georgians Can Water New Outdoor Plantings Longer

Georgians are taking water conservation seriously, saving up to 180 million gallons per day in counties under the level 4 drought category. And many of these people still give their plants the water they need to grow.

Between June 2007 and June 2008, water use was down 20 percent in 55 north Georgia counties. Helping in that reduction were Georgians who pledged to reduce their outdoor water use by 10 percent through the Outdoor Water Use Registration Program (outdoorwateruse.com). The program was developed by the University of Georgia Center for Urban Agriculture, along with the Environmental Protection Division and the Urban Ag Council.

As of February 2009, 22,200 people had completed the program either through local UGA Cooperative Extension Service offices or online.

They’re reducing, not eliminating, water use.

“The long and short of it is, the governor wanted reassurance that citizens would use water in the most efficient way possible and recognize that landscapes are essential,” said Todd Hurt, a UGA Extension water specialist. “We need to water a little bit so all our soil doesn’t wind up in lakes and rivers.”

Soil erosion is the No. 1 pollutant in rivers, he said. Plants hold the soil in place and help it absorb water after a rain.

In Oct. 2007, a complete outdoor watering ban was issued in many parts of Georgia. The state soon learned that when outdoor spigots turn off plants die, soil washes away and Georgia’s $8 billion plant industry shrivels.

The plant, or green, industry lost an estimated $230 million a month and 35,000 jobs during that drought. Cities and counties that sell water through local utilities lost revenue.

The UGA Center for Urban Agriculture created the program to help soothe some of the problems watering bans create. The program went live in Feb. 2008 when Gov. Sonny Perdue signed an order allowing limited outdoor watering.

The program, Hurt said, allows landscapes that have been in the ground less than 30 days to be watered longer than 25 minutes at a time. Only property owners in areas under level 4, level 4A or level 4B droughts need to complete the program and become certified. Level 4C allows for watering three days a week, therefore the certificate would not be a benefit.

People certified through the program can use their irrigation systems if they pledge to use less water than they did before the drought.

“You would take your certificate and post it in your landscape,” Hurt said, “and that would allow you to water on the odd-even system from midnight to 10 a.m. for 10 weeks.”

Some local water providers ask for the certificate before issuing a local watering permit, he said.

The program is composed of a 40-slide presentation and certification quiz. It covers topics such as Georgia’s water basins, where water originates, water use, landscape value, how to water efficiently, where to put plants, mulch and how to find alternative water sources.

It’s hard to teach water conservation in a state that receives as much as 50 inches of rain a year, Hurt said. Some states get less than 5 inches.

“We have to find ways to capture (water) and reuse it in a wise fashion,” he said. “We can’t give up our landscapes. We can’t plant cactus. It’s going to rot when the rain comes back.”

Hurt is revamping the program to focus more on sustainable landscapes and less on drought.

Georgia’s plant industry hasn’t recovered, yet, he said. The number of new landscapes being installed is still greatly reduced. The program has helped, though.

For more information or to complete the certification, call 1-800-ASK-UGA1 to schedule an appointment at your local UGA Extension office. Or, complete it online for $4.95 at outdoorwateruse.com.

By Stephanie Schupska
University of Georgia

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