Ga Tech finds water for football field

In the midst of the drought, Georgia Tech has devised a way to maintain the grass of its stadium's football field.

Some Tech graduates have engineered a way to tap into a spring water source running underneath campus--thus legally circumventing the outdoor water ban in north Georgia.

Wayne Hogan is the school's associate athletics director for public relations. He says a recent 25-thousand dollar project is making the water useful, and necessary for the field at Bobby Dodd Stadium.

"We've been capturing quite a bit of water in some tanks under the stadium, then a pumping system takes water from the tanks and feeds it into the stadium's irrigation system. We've been able to do that two or three times".

The spring water became a problem two years ago, when it threatened the foundations of Bobby Dodd Stadium. Until recently, the water had been diverted into city storm drains.

Hogan says using public water had a price tag of up to eight thousand dollars a year. He says this spring source could pay itself back in a few years.

Northeast Georgia extends outdoor water ban

Officials in a northeast Georgia county have voted to extend the outdoor watering ban. Jackson County voted yesterday to ban concrete contractors, pavers, pressure washers and hydro-seeders from using county waters. Brick masons and car washes still will be able to use county water, but car washes will be asked to conserve and cut their consumption by 40 percent to 50 percent. Landscapers were already banned from using county water.

Jackson Co extends outdoor water ban

Jackson County officials have extended an outdoor watering ban that already affects landscapers. The county’s Water and Sewer Authority voted to ban concrete contractors, pavers, pressure washers and hydro-seeders from using county water. Brick mason and car washes are not under this new ban, however car washes are being asked to conserve and cut their water consumption by 40-50 percent. On October 11th, the authority rescinded all business exemptions to the county’s total outdoor watering ban, but did consider appeals from those businesses that must use water.

Drought threatens upcoming golf classic

The impact of this year's drought could jeopardize one of Georgia's most popular sporting events.

The annual spring AT&T classic at the Sugarloaf Country Club in Gwinnett County, means $20 million to the state's bottom line.

And, although Sugarloaf uses rain collected in nearby retention ponds, officials hope the state will grant a watering ban exemption.

Mike Crawford is Sugarloaf's superintendent.

"If we were to lose the ability to water our greens, I think you would see a lot of golf courses and a lot of business in the state be seriously affected, and potentially in the long run could have to close their doors."

Current law prohibits Sugarloaf from using water hazards on its course to keep the bluegrass green.

Cooler temperatures and recent rains mean the course has not had to draw from its retention ponds.

Still, the course has no contingency plan. Instead, they’re relying on a wet spring and the state for drought relief.

Drought is good for water well drillers

Not everyone is suffering in Georgia’s extreme drought. Water well drilling companies are swamped with business.

The search for untapped sources of water to quench lawns is driving-up the call volume to water well drillers. That’s quite the opposite of businesses like landscaping, which have taken a blow in recent months.

When state officials hit north Georgia with a total outdoor watering ban a week-and-a-half ago, water well drillers expected a spike in business. Kandi Bolton is co-owner of Max Bolton Well and Pump Company in Dawsonville. She says calls are up 75-percent in just the last two weeks.

"It is utterly amazing to me the phone calls that come in. It starting kicking I would say the middle of September, but last week was when I really noticed that I could not get off the phone".

Bolton says they would typically handle two work orders a week, but that’s up to at least six now.

She says competing companies in the area are sharing customer calls to help handle the work-load.

Talk of no water in NE Ga by Christmas

An official with Athens-Clarke County says that if drought conditions persist, the area will have to begin rationing of water by Thanksgiving, and the Bear Creek Reservoir would run out of water by Christmas. County commissioners were told that a total outdoor watering ban has cut water usage in Athens by nearly 20-percent. That combined with an emergency permit to draw water from the Middle Oconee River, will provide residents in Barrow, Clarke, Jackson and Oconee counties with drinking water until December 21st--under current drought conditions. Athens-Clarke County officials are working on a draft of Step F restrictions to present October 25th. That would involve prioritizing uses of water in an emergency drought management plan.

Perdue says short showers save water

Governor Perdue has declared October “take a shorter shower month” in an effort to encourage individuals to save water.

Shaving only a minute off the morning shower can save 5 to 7 gallons of water. That’s the message from a group called Water Smart, which received the governor’s declaration. Kathy Nguen with WaterSmart says in this drought everyone should take shorter showers.

"Cut it by a minute. If you cut it more we would love it. We have shower timers. We encourage five minute showers. It's a challenge," she said.

A spokesman for Sonny Perdue couldn't confirm the governor’s shower time, but said that the governor’s message is to conserve water wherever possible year round.

The website conservewatergeorgia.net offers an array of water saving tips.

Total outdoor water ban in four NE Georgia counties

State officials have tightened water restrictions in four northeast Georgia counties, as the main reservoir for the area is running dry.

Barrow, Clarke, Jackson and Oconee counties draw their water from the Bear Creek Reservoir. It is running dry however, because of the ongoing drought.

The counties are all now under level-4 restrictions. That means a total ban for residences on all outdoor watering, 7 days a week—-24 hours a day.

Jeff Killip is Public Works Director for Jefferson in Jackson county.

"We’re going to have to ban substantially all outside use, even on the professional businesses. The water situation is worse than dire".

Killip says there is about a 14-day supply left in the reservoir.

In Jefferson as well as Athens, businesses must get a special permit and prove they are conserving water.

NE Georgia city enacts water ban

The existing drought and current heat wave sweeping the state has forced another city to enact a ban on all outdoor water use. Winder in northeast Georgia has announced the move. A city official says Winder's main source of water--the Mulberry River--has "gotten down to a trickle".

The city is considering buying about 5-million gallons of water per day from the Bear Creek Reservoir.

Many cities and counties across the state have either complete or very restrictive water bans in place.

Water crisis in Jones County

Residents in Gray, Georgia are being asked to boil drinking water. The city says two water main breaks, a large fire, and the holiday weekend has spawned a crisis. Tanks that supply water to residents are nearly empty, and not expected to be re-filled until the coming weekend. Gray joins a growing list of Georgia towns under a ban on all outdoor water use.