Water Rules Remain the Same for Tucker Users

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

With summer officially arriving in less than two weeks, DeKalb County 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 DeKalb County is choosing to follow Georgia’s water use mandates.

“We are not aware of any pending changes from the state,” said Burke Brennan, DeKalb County's spokesman.

“So far we are not suffering any ill effects,” said Sharon Johnson, who participates in Mason Mill’s community garden, “but we have discussed different ways we could collect water. Perhaps build a shed and collect water off the roof or something like that.”

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 p.m. and 10 a.m. Outdoor watering is prohibited between the hours of 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.