Gwinnett County Water Restrictions in Place

The calendar shows it's still spring but it feels like summer already. And with temperatures climbing into the 90s nearly every day, more homeowners are turning on their sprinklers to water their lawns.

It's been a while since most of us had to water our yards, so now is an opportune time to remind everyone that water restrictions from last year are still in force.

Here are the water restrictions posted on Gwinnett County's website:

• Watering your lawn is permitted every day of the week but only between the hours of 4 p.m. and 10 a.m. Last year the governor signed a new state law that permits all citizens in the state to water any day of the week.
• Outdoor water use for other uses such as washing your car, pressure washing or recreation use is restricted to the old odd/even schedule. Even and unnumbered addresses may use water outdoors on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays; odd addresses, Thuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays.
• Hand watering your lawn is allowed with a shut off nozzle any time of the day, any day of the week.
• Newly installed landscape is also exempt from the hourly restrictions for the first 30 days following installation.
• Drip irrigation is exempt from the outdoor watering rules. This method may be used any day, any time.

There are also other exemptions to these water restrictions, including:

• Commercial agriculture
• Alternative sources of water (grey water, rian water, condensate, etc.)
• Irrigation of food gardens
• Irrigation of newly installed or reseeded turf for the first 30 days.
• Water from a private well

For a complete list, visit the county's website

The county also reminds everyone that being allowed to water everyday does not mean it is the best practice. Irrigation should supplement rainfall. During limited rainfall most established landscapes should only need watering once a week.

Also keep in mind the county's water rate structure is based on a tiered system, which means you could fall into the next rate schedule and pay a higher rate.

Check the Gwinnett County Department of Resources website for tiered water rates.