Effective April 29, the Georgia Environmental Protection Division has designated a Level IVb Drought Response status to the Barrow County and City of Winder water customers.

The status change will allow for what some consider a more convenient schedule for watering to provide for weekend outdoor watering and authorizing car-washing and pressure-washing on those days.

Residents will swap one of the weekdays for watering for a day of the weekend, based on even/odd addresses.

Clay Burdette of the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Environmental Protection Division (EPD), informed Commission Chairman Danny Yearwood and Winder Mayor Chip Thompson of the approval from Dr. Carol A. Couch, EPD Director.

Also included are two additional exemptions which allow pressure washing of buildings and washing of vehicles on the days listed below.

Odd-numbered addresses may water on Thursdays and Sundays between midnight and 10 a.m.

Even-numbered and unnumbered addresses may water on Wednesdays and Saturdays between midnight and 10 a.m.

Washing cans and pressures washing are accepted activities during the days/times allowed per your system, noted Burdette in the notification of the modification request’s approval.

Dr. Couch had already provided some modifications earlier this year which allowed for hand water of existing landscaping using one garden hose, 25 minutes a day within the hours of midnight and 10 a.m. on one designated day in addition to the two days of watering but the addition required local approval.

Drip irrigation or soaker hoses were approved for use as well according to one’s designated watering schedule.

All other exemptions included under the Level IV will still apply, and Dr. Couch said, "I expect rigorous compliance and enforcement of your modified drought response."

Outdoor water uses still prohibited are use of hydrants for any purpose other than firefighting, public health, safety or flushing, and washing hard surfaces such as streets, gutter, sidewalks and driveways except when necessary for public health and safety.

Formerly, even-numbered addresses could water on Mondays and Wednesdays and odd-numbered addresses could water on Tuesdays and Thursdays. With the modification, there should be no outdoor watering on Mondays and Tuesdays expect in certain provisions with newly-installed landscaping which can be watered three days a week for 10 consecutive weeks.

Any person watering newly-installed landsacping must register with the Outdoor Water Use Registration Program at www.urganagcouncil.com

In Statham, Director of Public Works Tim Powell will soon be making a similiar request on behalf of Statham water customers, said City Clerk Susan Gabriel.

The City of Auburn applied Tuesday for consideration for the Level 4b modification.

"We had to wait until our water line to Water Tower Two at Kilcrease was completed," said Auburn City Administrator Ron Griffith.

Auburn Public Works Director David Hawthorne said the town had to get off Gwinnett County water before making the request so with the second tap to Barrow County water connected, the application was prepared, signed by Mayor Linda Blechinger on Tuesday and sent in.

Hawthorne said it took EPD a week to get Winder's and Barrow County's request through the process so he doesn't expect to hear anything for at least a week.

"What we are shooting for is the have the same watering as Winder and Barrow County," said Hawthorne, who also serves as an appointee to the Barrow County Water & Sewerage Authority. "I just makes sense to be consistent."

For additional information about the Winder and Barrow County watering schedule and procedures, contact the Winder Water Department at (770) 867-7978 or the Barrow County Water Department at (770) 307-3014. Direct your questions to your water supplier.