— Fayette County Water System declares a Level 1 Drought Response —

The Fayette County Water System has declared a Level 1 Drought response effective as of Monday, July 1, 2024, in response to unprecedented high demand for water due to irrigation activities causing low pressure in portions of our service area.

Declaring a Level 1 drought response allows the Water System to initiate a public information campaign to help citizens better understand drought, its impact on water supplies and the need for water conservation.

“We are asking all customers to voluntarily limit irrigation activities to three days a week, watering on Sunday, Tuesday, and Thursdays at odd addresses and Monday, Wednesday and Fridays at even addresses,” said Vanessa Tigert, Water System Director.

“Fayette County is currently experiencing extremely dry soil conditions due to limited precipitation received over the last month. These conditions are reminiscent of the 2019 flash drought the Southern Crescent experienced,” Tigert said.

The current outdoor water use schedule required under the Georgia Environmental Protection Division Drought Management Rule remains in place. It limits outdoor water use, including irrigation activities, year-round to the hours after 4 p.m. and before 10 a.m. and water waste activities such as continuous leaks.

Other ways our customers can conserve water include checking for and repairing leaks on your property, and avoiding activities that require large amounts of water such as car or pressure washing.

Water conservation information is available at https://epd.georgia.gov/watershed-protection-branch/water-conservation