Community Corner
Water Restrictions Approved for Local Counties
Barrow, Clarke and Oconee water customers will need to cut back outdoor use in response to the drought, according to news reports.
Water customers in Barrow, Clarke and Oconee counties will be limited to watering lawns and washing cars three days a week under new restrictions approved Wednesday, the Athens Banner-Herald reports.
The new limits were approved by the board of the Upper Oconee Basin Water Authority, which oversees the Bear Creek Reservoir. Jackson County is also affected by the restrictions.
The new regulations still need to be endorsed by the Georgia Environmental Protection Division, which means it will be several days before they become official, Oconee County Utilities Director Chris Thomas, operations chairman for the water authority, told the newspaper.
Find out what's happening in Oconeewith free, real-time updates from Patch.
The Bear Creek Reservoir was full at the beginning of July, but its level has been falling steadily for weeks, the paper reports. Many , and local farmers are coping with drought conditions.
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