Buckhead Residents Don't Face Any New Water Restrictions

As sunny, 90-plus-degree days roll on and with no rain in sight, Buckhead residents aren’t facing any new restrictions when it comes to watering their lawns or washing their cars.

The city of Atlanta continues to follow state-mandated restrictions, which went into effect in June 2010.

In fact, Georgia's cities and counties can't impose watering rules that are more strict than those of the state. They can have looser rules, but Atlanta has not opted to do that, according to Janet Ward, spokesperson for the Atlanta Department of Watershed Management.

And with summer officially arriving in less than two weeks, local gardening organizations are already feeling the heat.

“The recent, dry, hot weather has been the source of conversation and concern for us this year,” said Kevin McCauley, who helps run the community garden in the Blue Heron Nature Preserve. “Amazingly, for the most part the garden is doing very well due in part to favorable spring weather. And the gardeners have been through this before so they know the drill. 

“In the five years since the garden was founded more we've had several seasons of drought with water restrictions more severe than those currently in place. We still encourage our gardeners to use water sparingly and only during the early morning or late evenings.”

So when can people water that moisture-deprived lawn, or wash the dusty vehicle in the driveway?

It depends on whether a home has an odd or even numbered address:

• People who want to power wash or wash the car can do so on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays if they have an odd-numbered address.
• People with even-numbered and unnumbered addresses can tackle those chores on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays. 
• Got a vegetable garden in the backyard? You can water it anytime and any day, as long as you do so with a handheld hose and nozzle or a watering can. Soaker hoses are also allowed any time and any day, for any purpose.
• Lawns, shrubs and other outdoor plants, however, can only be watered between the hours of 4 pm and 10 am. Outdoor watering is prohibited between the hours of 10 am and 4 pm.