 Tue, May 13, 2008 08:37 PM
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2008-03-13  TOP STORIES | Alpharetta matches Fulton regulations
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| | by Bob Pepalis | |  |
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March 19, 2008
ALPHARETTA -- Get out the garden hose and pull back that pool cover. Starting April 1, Alpharettans might be able to hand water their lawns and fill up their pools starting April 1, if the Fulton County Board of Commissioners relaxes its watering.
North Georgia still is in drought conditions, so residents will only get one time a week for less than 30 minutes to hand water their yards.
City Council members rushed to remind residents conservation is still needed. Fulton County staff recommended tighter restrictions than the Georgia Environmental Protection Division (EPD) requires. That was necessary to make sure the county met an EPD requirement to reduce water use by 10 percent compared to 2007 usage.
Mayor Arthur Letchas brought the proposal before council.
"We still aren't going to take our eyes off the target as far as removing our water restrictions. But we would like to fall in line with the EPD and Fulton County water restrictions," Letchas said.
The mayor's intent is to make sure Alpharetta's regulations match its neighbors so homeowners across the street from each other aren't following different rules. The decision also would make it easier for landscapers to meet a single set of rules.
The county's rules may change even during the April 1 to Sept. 30 time frame set by the Georgia EPD, but Alpharetta's ordinance assures that its rules will automatically change according to Fulton's actions. Changes are likely to occur if the county misses its mandate to cut its customers' water use by 10 percent during those six months. If customers conserve even more water, the county might even ease its restrictions to match the state's maximums allowed.
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| 'Hand watering is defined as one person with one garden hose with a spray nozzle that shuts off automatically when it is released.'
Ga. Environmental
Protection Division
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Letchas said he hopes the easing of restrictions helps the local landscaping industry.
City Administrator Bob Regus said Alpharetta's neighbors have followed Fulton County's lead on water restrictions in the past, with Alpharetta having the strictest regulations. The county will likely examine water use on a weekly basis, and make changes to restrictions almost as fast.
Even the heavy downpours last Friday night and Saturday did little to affect the drought. Councilman John Monson said if residents believe the heavy downpours last Friday and Saturday made a significant impact on the drought, they would be wrong.
"We're not out of the woods yet. I would continue to encourage people to conserve," Monson said.
North Georgia's biggest problem is water, the mayor said.
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"If you ask people what the problem is in the cities, it's traffic. If we look at water, traffic is a minor problem," Letchas said. "Water is the problem, and we are going to have to keep our eye on this conservation goal."
Councilman David Belle Isle, who grew up in Gainesville, said as a child he saw some low lake levels. But nothing compares to how low the lake is today.
Although Lake Lanier reached 1,050.5 feet Sunday, the highest level since Halloween last year, it remains well below full pool, defined by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers as 1071 feet. (The pool is measured as feet above sea level. The lake at its deepest near Buford Dam at full pool would be 160 feet deep.)
"The docks are on the ground," he said. "You think because we've had some rain it's fine – but it's not fine," Belle Isle said.
- www.northfulton.com
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Save water, save dollars
• Changing a high flow toilet (3.5 to 5 gallons per flush) to a low flow (1.6 gpf) or dual flush (1.0 gpf) in a single household can reduce water use by 27 gallons per day or about 9,000 gallons a year.
• High-efficiency clothes washers can save energy and water. Water savings totals about 12 gallons per day or 5,500 gallons a year and save about $42 a year in energy costs.
• By installing 2.5 gallons per minute showerheads and ~2 gallons per minute faucet aerators, you could save 3,000 gallons of water a year.
Given an average home has two toilets, one clothes washer, two shower heads and three faucets, retrofitting that home with efficient hardware could save 30,000 gallons of water a year, for an average savings of about $250 in water costs and about $42 a year in energy costs. |
Rules remain strict
City Administrator Bob Regus gave City Council a list of recommendations by Fulton County staff from Commissioner Lynne Riley. Those recommendations being presented to the Board of Commissioners Wednesday were to:
• Hand water for 25 minutes per day one day per week. Even numbered addressed may water Saturday between midnight and 10 a.m. and odd numbered addresses on Sunday during the same time period.
• A one time, 30-day exemption for watering newly installed landscaping would be allowed on a three-days-a-week, midnight to 10 a.m., odd/even schedule. Customers must register and participate in the Outdoor Water Use Registration Program hosted at www.urbanagcouncil.com beginning April 1.
• Filling outdoor swimming pools would be allowed as having partially filled pools is considered a health and safety issue.
• Code enforcement officers will patrol the Fulton County water service area. Violations can be reported by calling 404-612-8097. | |
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