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Efforts to provide

drought relief to about 40 Fayette residents are running 11 days behind

schedule ... due to rain.

Late last year the

County Commission, following the recommendation of the Water Committee,

agreed to build additional water lines to help residents whose wells had

gone dry.

In emergency situations

in which wells dry up in areas where county water is not available, the

Water System offers a deal. The customers pay the cost of running water

lines to their homes that would be adequate to serve only those homes,

and the Water System picks up the cost of making those lines large enough

to serve future customers beyond the trouble spot.

Water system director

Tony Parrott reported last week to the Water Committee that four of the

eight projects have been completed, and four remain.

But recent heavy rains

have slowed the construction.

Rains also have filled

the county's reservoirs, and water conservation efforts also are paying

off, said Parrott. Average daily production of water in April was 8.2

million gallons, compared to 11.4 million during April 2000, Parrott reported.

The county remains

on odd-even watering restrictions, with outdoor watering allowed 10 p.m.

to 10 a.m. on the appropriate days.

In other business

at last week's meeting, the committee voted to ask commissioners to approve

bidding out air conditioning for a pump house at Lake Horton. The project

is expected to cost $40,000 to $60,000, said Parrott.

Bids for fences to

protect two water tanks under construction as well as a wetland property

on Brooks Creek also received committee approval, and the group voted

to recommend that the county put money in its 2002 budget to paint a small

water tank in Peachtree City.

Recommendations to

the commission will be considered at the group's May 10 meeting, 7 p.m.

at the County Administrative Complex.