Brian Vanderhoff's North Fulton Real Estate Blog

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 rules this week.

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.



Recommendations sent to Fulton Commissioners were to allow:
• Hand watering 25 minutes, one day per week.
• Filling outdoor swimming pools.
• A one time watering newly installed landscaping three-nights-a-week for 30 days. Register at www.urbanagcouncil.com

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.

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.

"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.

Labels: Fulton, Fulton County, North Fulton, water, Water Ban, Water Restrictions

Georgia's landscaping industry has been hard hit by drought and a resulting outdoor watering ban, but Gov. Sonny Perdue provided some relief Wednesday by announcing the state would ease watering restrictions.

The new plan, which Perdue said would strengthen the state's landscaping industry, allows plants to be handwatered for 25 minutes every other day for three days a week.

New, professionally installed landscapes also may be watered up to three days a week for 10 weeks. Those wishing to water new, professionally installed landscaping must register through the online Outdoor Water Use Registration Program.

"Our state will strike a strong balance between water conservation, economic solvency and giving our growers in this state the tools they need to make this state greener and more prosperous in the future," Perdue said. "We need to come together to support an industry that is so important to our state."

Perdue also was expected to issue an announcement Wednesday on outdoor swimming pools. Pool companies have been concerned that the outdoor water ban would force swimming pools around north Georgia to go unfilled during the summer.

Severe drought compelled the state last fall to ban outdoor watering in north Georgia and order public water providers in the region to cut their water withdrawals by 10 percent.

Landscapers have been pushing the state to ease the restrictions before spring, their busiest season. Their lobbyists estimate that more than 14,000 employees have already lost their jobs due to the drought, which forced well-known Atlanta company Pike Nursery Holding into bankruptcy.

John Strickland of Organic Growing Systems in Atlanta said Perdue's exemptions would allow the state's $8 billion landscaping industry to avoid financial extinction.

"We look at springtime in our industry -- that's our Christmas," Strickland said. "Consumers are actually scared to invest in a plant where they are not sure if it's going to die or not. If we follow these rules, the consumer confidence will come up."

The 61 north Georgia counties under the Level 4 drought restrictions, which began in September, will be required to achieve Perdue's reduction goal of at least 10 percent.

The 10 percent water reduction will be calculated using last year's April to September average monthly water use.

Labels: Sonny Perdue, water, Water Ban, Water Restrictions

A rainy end to 2007 spared north Georgia from setting a new record for the driest year ever. Atlanta finally edged over the 1954 record breaking rainfall deficit on Sunday, but is still dealing with exceptional drought conditions. Click on video for more information. Julia Harding reports. SideBar

Labels: Drought, Rain, water, Water Ban

The Army Corps of Engineers has decided to reduce the flow of water out of Lake Allatoona by 40 percent to 50 percent, according to the general manager of the Cobb County-Marietta Water Authority.

The Cobb County Marietta Water authority pulls about 73 million gallons of water each day out of Lake Allatoona. Before the reduction, the authority was within a month of having to lay a mile worth of piping and pumps to be able to continue pumping water. This change may push that decision day until spring.

"It buys us a little more time for our contingency plans for the steps we need to take as the conditions potentially worsen. We are hoping we don't need to," said Glen Page of the Cobb County Marietta Water Authority.

Page said the decision the Corps made Friday is an effort to make sure Allatoona remains a lake. He said officials are committed to making sure the authority can provide water for customers in 2008.

Officially the lake stands at 21 feet below summer pool --or about four feet below it's normal winter pool. Only two of the normal four boat ramps are open, but now authorities say any rains that come should begin to replenish the lake and not simply pass through the dam and southward.

"Hopefully this means the lake will steady for the time being," said Chris Purvis of the Corps of Engineers.

A spokeswoman for the Corps' office in Mobile, Alabama, confirms the reduction but will not say whether the Corps will do the same for Lake Lanier.

Labels: Allatoona, Lake Lanier, Lakes, Water Ban, Water Flow

Gov. Sonny Perdue and other government officials stood on landlocked boat ramps Oct. 20 at Mary Alice Park on Lake Lanier to declare a state of emergency in 85 of Georgia's counties due to the prolonged drought.

Perdue has also asked President Bush to declare a major disaster area in an effort to exempt the state from complying with the water reservoir releases that could cause "catastrophic harm."

"This drought is a natural disaster," Perdue said. "We are experiencing the worst drought in North Georgia's history. On top of that, we are also mired in a frustrating manmade disaster of Federal bureaucracy. The actions of the Corps of Engineers and the Fish and Wildlife services are not only irresponsible, but downright dangerous. And Georgia cannot stand for this negligence."

Perdue said more than 3.2 million gallons of water are released daily out of the Georgia reservoirs.

"That's enough to fill three and a half Olympic-sized swimming pools every minute," he said. "Even the consultation periods of changing these policies are just fiddling while Rome burns. Georgia needs action today."

On Oct. 19, Perdue filed an injunction with the Middle District of Florida Federal Court requiring the Army Corps of Engineers to restrict water flows from Lanier and federal reservoirs.

"We need to cut through the tangle of unnecessary bureaucracy to manage our resources so that in the long term all species may have access to clean water," he said.

Perdue said current laws prohibit even heavy rains from helping the situation.

"The sad part is that if we got relieving rains," he said, "we could not save it. These are the silly parts of rules that we need to get around. That's why people have no confidence in government."

Rep. Nathan Deal agreed this was a "serious situation."

"This is a situation we have not confronted in a very long time," he said. "It is important to work with the federal government to find an immediate solution."

Millions of gallons of water have been shipped downstream in an effort to preserve endangered species of mussels. Many government officials said this has to stop.

"Wildlife officials have decided that mussels are more important than our children and grandchildren," said Rep. John Linder. "This is a serious problem."

Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle agreed.

"This is not a situation we cannot conserve our way out of," he said. "The idea that individuals would put mussels in front of human consumption is absolutely and utterly ridiculous."

Jonathan Davis, operations manager for the Army Corps of Engineers at Lake Lanier, said the morning before Perdue's declaration that the Corps doesn't have the authority to deviate from the law in its mandated water releases that include protecting endangered species.

"But it does not mean we are doing it blindly and we are not aware of the impacts of that – that's my job and I can assure you I am doing that," he said.

The Corps is asking the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to re-examine its study on endangered mussels and sturgeon downstream in the Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint Basin, he said.

Perdue compared a lack of action to the situation Louisiana faced when Hurricane Katrina hit in 2005.

"In asking for this disaster declaration, this is exactly what we failed to do in Katrina," he said. "The state of Louisiana was criticized for not asking for a declaration of disaster soon enough so our federal partners could get involved."

While Georgians are being forced to adhere to water restrictions, Perdue said it was wrong to allow Alabama and Florida residents to live without such restrictions.

"No one is sacrificing," he said. "No one is sharing the pain like the people in North Georgia are."

Perdue said Georgians will do what it takes to conserve water.

"Georgians will step up to the plate and do what it takes to conserve our previous resources," he said. "We need our federal partners to do the same and not continue to ship this water downstream when it is needed drastically here."

Carol Couch, Director of the Environmental Protection Division, said drinking water could become very scarce within 80 days.

"This is a natural disaster that did not happen overnight," she said. "This is something that happened slowly. We need the President to declare this as a disaster. It will be a multiple front effort that needs the federal government's help."

If water levels continue to drop, so will the certainty of clean water. Couch said water below a certain level requires further treatment and the quality at that level is unsure.

Lake Lanier will not run dry in just a few months, Davis told members of the Alpharetta Rotary Club, which includes several local elected officials.

Davis said the lake stores water in what is called its normal pool at 1,071 feet. The amount of water down to 1,035 feet is its conservation pool.

Corps experts in Mobile, Ala., who decide what flow of water should be released from the lake, calculated 100 days of water were left as of Oct. 19 before the lake got down to 1,035 feet.

"From 1,035 down to the bottom of the lake is still 100 feet of water," Davis said. "In other words, the lake will not be dry in 100 days."

Perdue said he was "confident" there would be a positive outcome for Georgia in this situation.

"We will emerge from this disaster stronger than before with a solution that will benefit all of Georgia's interests for years to come," he said.

For now, Perdue said Georgia will continue their conservation efforts to preserve water throughout the state.

Labels: Lake Lanier, Water Ban, Water Restrictions

Lake Lanier continues to shrink in level. The water level is now about 15 feet below normal.

Labels: Drought, Lake Lanier, water, Water Ban, Water Restrictions

ATLANTA - Governor Sonny Perdue today directed the Georgia Environmental Protection Division (EPD) to modify current surface water and groundwater withdrawal and drinking water permits to achieve a 10 percent reduction in withdrawals for permit holders in the 61 North Georgia counties covered under the Level 4 drought designation. Permit holders will be required to reduce water withdrawals by 10 percent compared to the permit holder's water usage of the last winter season (beginning of December 2006 through end of March 2007). The new restrictions are effective when the EPD director notifies all permit holders in writing. The permit modifications apply to all non-farm permit holders.

"In this unprecedented drought, we all have to pitch in and find ways to conserve our most precious resource," Governor Sonny Perdue said. "A 10 percent reduction in water use is a first step, and we will continue to evaluate our drought response and encourage additional conservation as needed."

The revised permit restrictions will be in place beginning November 1 and will continue as necessary. Georgia EPD will enforce permit restrictions and impose fines for noncompliance.

"Many communities already have successful conservation programs in place," said Governor Perdue. "I encourage all Georgians to make their dry lawns and dirty cars a badge of honor. By making individual conservation efforts, along with reasonable solutions from our federal government, we can collectively help to ensure that our water supply is sufficient."

The 61 counties included in the Level 4 drought declaration include: Banks, Barrow, Bartow, Butts, Carroll, Catoosa, Chattooga, Cherokee, Clarke, Clayton, Cobb, Coweta, Dade, Dawson, DeKalb, Douglas, Elbert, Fannin, Fayette, Floyd, Forsyth, Franklin, Fulton, Gilmer, Gordon, Greene, Gwinnett, Habersham, Hall, Haralson, Harris, Hart, Heard, Henry, Jackson, Jasper, Lincoln, Lumpkin, Madison, Meriwether, Morgan, Murray, Muscogee, Newton, Oconee, Oglethorpe, Paulding, Pickens, Polk, Rabun, Rockdale, Spalding, Stephens, Towns, Troup, Union, Walker, Walton, White, Whitfield and Wilkes.

This directive is the latest step taken to help Georgians through the worst drought in the state's history. The northern third of Georgia is under Level 4 drought restrictions, or a complete outdoor watering ban. Georgia's major federal reservoirs, such as West Point Lake and Lake Lanier, continue to dwindle as the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers sends billions of gallons of water downstream every day despite the impact their actions will have on Georgia's water supply and its citizens.

On Saturday, October 20, Governor Perdue signed an executive order declaring a state of emergency in 85 counties in Georgia due to the historic drought. Governor Perdue also sent a letter to President Bush outlining steps the state has taken to minimize the impact of the drought and emphasizing the increasingly severe threat to Georgia businesses, industry, economic stability and the health and safety of Georgia citizens. He requested President Bush to temporarily exempt the state of Georgia from the Endangered Species Act to reduce the flows from Georgia reservoirs and preserve Georgia's precious water resources.

On Friday, October 19, Governor Perdue filed a motion for preliminary injunction in the Middle District of Florida Federal Court requiring the Army Corps of Engineers to restrict water flows from Lake Lanier and Georgia's federal reservoirs.

Labels: Sonny Perdue, water, Water Ban, Water Restrictions

ALPHARETTA (AP) -- The city of Alpharetta has tightened its water restrictions, making them stricter than those mandated by the state.

The City Council approved a measure Monday that bans the watering of newly installed landscaping on residential or commercial property, even if the landscaping was installed by a professional.

The new ordinance allows Alpharetta police officers to issue criminal citations. It also empowers officers to inspect property to make sure people are complying with the watering ban.

To cope with the epic drought, Georgia officials in September banned virtually all outdoor watering in the northern part of the state and have warned that more restrictions could be coming.

Labels: Alpharetta, water, Water Ban, Water Restrictions

Water Restrictions Information Page.


Due to worsening drought conditions in Georgia, the Director of the Environmental Protection Division (EPD) has declared a level four drought response for the northern third of the state.

Labels: Alpharetta, water, Water Ban