As of  Oct. 21, worsening drought conditions have prompted the Georgia Department of Natural Resources’ Environmental Protection Division (EPD) to declare a Level 1 Drought Response across the state.

With the issuance of this response, public water utilities in 103 counties – including Bryan County – will be required to begin a public information campaign to help citizens better understand drought, its impact on water supplies and the need for water conservation.

“This serves as a reminder for all Georgians to use water wisely,” EPD Director Richard Dunn said. “It also gives public water systems an opportunity to educate their customers on the importance of water conservation.”

The EPD uses several factors to determine the level of drought response, including precipitation, stream flows, groundwater, reservoir levels, short-term climate predictions and soil moisture.

In keeping with water-conservation activities during this time, citizens are asked to keep outdoor water use limited to the hours of 4 p.m.-10 a.m. Exceptions to this limitation can be found at https://epd.georgia.gov/watershed-protection-branch/waterconservation.

Under a Level 1 Drought Response, the following activities may be conducted at any time of day:

• Irrigation of personal food gardens

• Irrigation of new and replanted plants, seed or turf for up to 30 after installation

• Drip irrigation or irrigation using soaker hoses

• Hand watering using a hose with an automatic cutoff or handheld container

To learn more about EPD limitations and actions during droughts, please visit https://epd.georgia.gov/watershed-protection-branch/drought-management. Water conservation information is available at https://epd.georgia.gov/watershed-protectionbranch/water-conservation.