Wet enough for you?

When nearly 3.5 inches of rain

fell on Fayette County in one 24-hour period last week, conventional wisdom

would have suggested talk of deficits or droughts or conservation efforts

might be eased a little.

Think again.

Despite a wetter than normal

March, the Atlanta area still has a near two-inch rainfall deficit for

the year, according to the National Weather Service. But you wouldn't

know it by the levels of Fayette County lakes.

Tony Parrott, head of the Fayette

County water system, knows looks can decieve. While water in south Fayette's

huge reservoir Lake Horton was lapping over the banks late last week,

Parrott said every drop will be needed to fall back on when summer's heat

kicks in.

"That's why we store up

the water and fill the lakes in winter," Parrott said last week.

"We'll use that water this summer."

Fayette County has a total

production capacity of nearly 20 million gallons per day, more than it

needs. The county's three reservoirs lakes Peachtree, Kedron and Horton

act as back-ups during drought seasons. Lake Horton alone holds 3.5 billion

gallons of water and can yield 16 to 18 million gallons a day in drought

conditions, if needed, enough to meet the county's needs.

But that doesn't mean Fayette

has water to spare. Like all Georgia counties, Fayette adheres to odd-even

watering restrictions in spring and summer. In practice for years, the

alternating pattern of outdoor water use is seen now more as a conservation

effort rather than an emergency measure to combat drought.

Parrott reminds residents that

if the last number of your address is even, then watering is done on even

numbered calendar days. If the last number of your address is odd, then

watering is allowed on odd numbered calendar days.

And if you've got a pile of

winter leaves, limbs and other debris you've been meaning to burn, better

get to it. The county's residential burning ban starts April 30 and runs

through September. No outdoor burning is allowed during summer.

Outdoor burning does require

a permit, which is easily obtained 24 hours a day by calling the Fayette

County Department of Fire and Emergency Services at 770-461-1321, extension

5468.