The Georgia

Department of Natural Resources is asking the Fayette County Water System

to adopt a new odd-even day outdoor watering schedule that would ban all

outdoor watering on Fridays.

In a letter

to Fayette County water officials, DNR indicated the new water restrictions

will be enforcednext year, but for now the Friday-less watering schedule

would be voluntary in nature only. That's so the public can get used to

the system, according to DNR officials.

Some members

of the county's Water Committee were concerned about the affect the new

schedule might have on customers, particularly those who don't do much

yard work on Sundays.

"I understand

they want a day to replenish and everything but we're not having a problem

filling the tanks," said chairman Chuck Watkins.

Under the proposed

DNR system, odd numbered addresses would water on Tuesdays, Thursdays

and Sundays while even-numbered addresses would water on Mondays Wednesdays

and Saturdays. There would be no watering allowed on Fridays.

The new restrictions

would not include an hourly ban on how much watering can take place, according

to the DNR.

The committee

took no action on the request after discussing the matter at its regular

meeting Wednesday morning. Water System Director Tony Parrott said he

would rather wait until he gets the signed letter from the DNR.

Local water

customers have been excellent in complying with the county's current odd-even

watering restrictions, Parrott said.

The new restrictions

would not apply to newly installed landscapes for 30 days, and for other

commercial uses such as pressure washing, car washes and garden centers.

Golf courses

can also be exempt from the watering restrictions if they use small capacity

wells that don't require permits from the Georgia Environmental Protection

Division or the course uses recycled specially-treated wastewater with

EPD's blessing.

The irrigation

of tee boxes and greens will be exempt from the new watering restrictions

also.