No outdoor watering is permitted in Winder, Carl, Bethlehem and unincorporated Barrow County water customers served by the City of Winder of the Barrow County Water & Sewerage Authority.

Growing concerns about water availability as the worst drought conditions in the past half-century brought about the decision this week. As creeks and rivers drop to dangerously low levels all across the state, a community appeal is going out for water conservation efforts to be taken seriously.

The City of Winder was advised Thursday at 11 a.m. that Barrow County could not sustain the city's request for additional water supplies if the Carl water tank levels were to be restored to levels needed by Barrow County to meet the weekend water demands of its customers.

The Carl tank, which holds 50 million gallons when its level is at 50 feet, was at 26.3 feet, up .2 feet after Winder began cutting back usage. Concern about the approaching weekend with the one-day-a-week watering schedule found Barrow County asking Winder for a reprieve in taking Bear Creek water at higher levels.

Myron Garrett, director of the Barrow County Water Authority, said Barrow County needed 12-15 hours to refill the tanks to be ready for the weekend.

However, on Friday, it became apparent even the scaling back of some usage would not restore the county tanks to a comfortable level.

The City of Winder, in an effort to make up a 3 million gallon a day deficit between supplies and current demand for water, has moved to a Level 4 Drought response, meaning all outdoor watering is now suspended.

Only those commercial purposes for which a new permit is granted will be permitted. All other uses of outdoor water are prohibited, and fines as well as disconnection of service for violators will be strictly enforced.

Barrow County will be following the same restrictions for its customers, which include those Carl and Bethlehem area residents.

Only City of Statham water customers are not impacted by Winder's and Barrow County's move to a Level 4 drought condition. Statham City Hall confirmed the city has ample water supply at the present time.

The City of Winder is normally permitted through EPD to draw 5.1 million gallons a day from the Mulberry River. However, when a 7Q10 level was reached, meaning the water flow in the river dropped, the City of Winder's withdrawal permit issued by EPD was dropped to 1.8 million gallons a day.

What is 7Q10? The streamflow that occurs over 7 consecutive days and has a 10-year recurrence interval period, or a 1 in 10 chance of occurring in any one year. Daily streamflows in the 7Q10 range are general indicators of prevalent drought conditions which normally cover large areas. 7Q10 values are also used by the State for regulating water withdrawals and discharges into streams.

The City of Winder is able to replace some of that supply with 700,000 gallons taken from Lake Marbury, the lake at Fort Yargo State Park. Steps are being taken that will allow the city to be able to take from Yargo the entire 1 mgd allowed by EPD. Current pump design does not allow the city to take the full draw.

On Thursday, high water users were being contacted by Mayor Buddy Ouzts or by Utility Director Wesley Skinner, who stressed the need for voluntary compliance with the restrictions.

While some high water users, such as Harrison Poultry, have already been complying with the watering restrictions by scaling back water use, others have not. As another level in drought response is taken, compliance is essential.

"We have been pleased with the effort of most of our customers," said Skinner, pointing to the drop in water demand from May to June and then to July. "They have conserved. However, some just haven't gotten the message.

"Some got the message early on," said Skinner. "Now everybody else has to get the message."

In May, the City of Winder produced 5 mgd in its plant and purchased another 800,000 gallons a day from the county's Bear Creek transmission line. In June, the city's production scaled back to 4.8 million and was down to 4.7 mgd in July.

The City of Winder had divided its water service territory into three regions, with high water users divided between the three areas. Skinner said he was well pleased with the effort since the City of Winder's supply was handling one area and water purchased from Barrow County from its Bear Creek transmission line was serving the other two areas from two separate vaults. However, on Thursday morning, concern about the drop in water levels of Barrow County tanks at Highway 316 and at Carl found Barrow County asking the City of Winder to cut back its use of Bear Creek water so that the tanks could refill.

According to Garrett, unauthorized water use by customers on Wednesday between 6-10 p.m., a time when outdoor watering is not permitted, dropped the levels of Barrow's tanks.

Garrett, working from the control room of the water authority's building, can monitor in real time the water levels in the tanks and see when customers are drawing down significant amounts of water.

"People are watering," said Garrett, who notes the lack of voluntary compliance is forcing the water staff to begin policing for violators. Barrow Director of Public Works Terry Darragh said it was unfortunate that customers have failed to realize the significance of the ongoing drought situation.

"We are working closely to meet the needs during this drought situation," said Garrett, who has been meeting every half-hour with city water officials in monitoring the supply situation.

The City of Winder has Laurel Lane, its raw water supply reservoir, which can provide additional days of water, up to 30 days if utilized conservatively and likely on weekends when demand is up as more residents are at home. Skinner said the weather forecast does not look promising for the significant rains needed to replenish rivers and streams across the state which have been negatively impacted by the drought.

Skinner said it could be 30 to 45 days without any relief in sight. Unless there is some rain from Hurricane Dean, it may be late October before rains come. Without conservation and respect for the outdoor watering ban, water supplies look bleak.

On Thursday afternoon, city crews were battling the heat and the weeds which have grown in the holding reservoir at the city's May Street facility which had gone unused. A booster pump is being installed to bring 300,000 more gallons a day from Fort Yargo.

The City of Winder can look to Walton County for a very short-term water supply as Walton County, as well as other counties in the area, are also feeling the drought's impacts.

Currently, Winder water tanks are filled. "We are in good shape there with Bear Creek water having helped Wednesday and Thursday to get levels up," said Skinner.

Skinner said he is hopeful the City of Winder will be able to weather the weekend with conservation and restore supplies early next week with a return to higher Bear Creek water usage.

Conservation is a vital part of the water supply equation for now and in the future, said Skinner. (See related story on conservation measures.) Barrow County can serve as a "pass through" to the City of Winder of water from Gwinnett County on Highway 124 if the supply needs get more critical. Gwinnett County's water is more expensive than Bear Creek water, which is why the City of Auburn has been taking more water from Barrow County and phasing down usage of Gwinnett County water. Auburn's usage was down to 1.2 mgd.

However, according to Auburn Public Works Director David Hawthorne, Auburn was using more Gwinnett County water this week to address a pressure situation and Garrett expressed appreciation for Auburn's current Gwinnett water use as he advised Hawthorne of Winder's water situation.

Skinner said his staff will be in contact with EPD officials about the status of the situation.

Concerns about water supplies reach across county lines as the Bear Creek Reservoir, which supplies treated water to Barrow, Oconee and Jackson counties, and raw water to Athens-Clarke, cannot be replenished with water from the Middle Oconee River. Because of the lower river flow, withdrawal from that river is not possible.

Currently, two of the parameters indicate Bear Creek at a Level 1, however, should the reservoir level drop more - it was down 5.15 feet on Friday, a Level 4 drought response may be on the horizon.

"We need some rain desperately," said Kevin Williams, plant manager at the Bear Creek Reservoir.

Without substantial rainfall, the reservoir's ability to supply water at the current usage levels could stretch to late October. A chart of the use and the current rate and that impact on the reservoir level shows a dire situation if rains do not come.

Myron Garrett said county water staffers will be out with radio read meters to take readings which will be downloaded for analysis. Comparisons will be made and customers can expect a personal visit if they are watering in violation of the watering restrictions.

The average house should use 200 gallons of water a day. If your household is using 500 or 1,000 gallons of water a day, it is likely you are not following outdoor watering restrictions. If you have a nice green and lush lawn and your neighbor who is complying with the restrictions does not, Garrett says it's time for the soul-searching.

That nice lawn isn't going to put water into your kitchen faucet and isn't going to provide the water needed to flush that toilet.

"People are going to have to rethink their landscapes and use more mulch and native plants which don't demand as much water," said Garrett. He suggests making landscaping choices that don't require a lot of water. "Yes, the area is growing but even if that growth wasn't here and we have this drought, we would still have a crisis situation," said Garrett. "We've got to be smarter with our water use in the future."

Garrett is making plans for a stepped up conservation campaign which goes along with the water conservation kits available free if charge to those whose homes are 10 years old and older. Water-saving devices are part of the conservation effort under way by Barrow County and the City of Winder which have partnered on a WaterFirst application.

Barrow County has a limiting factor in providing that water to the City of Winder. The entire transmission line's loop design was never completed so the volume of water which Winder can get from the line wouldn't likely add up to the 5 mgd which the city contracted to purchase from Barrow County. Winder could use the water but it can't be supplied.

Garrett points to the 9.4 mgd rate which Bear Creek was pumping water to Oconee, Barrow and Jackson on a recent day and that rate was as high as 14 mgd on a weekend day. The average daily use was up for August when water restrictions were on place.

Questions can be directed to the City of Winder Utility Department at (770) 867-7978 or the Barrow County Water & Sewerage Authority at (70) 307-3014.

Originally published Sunday, August 19, 2007