How does the EPD decide to put water-use schedules in place?
Officials at EPD look at many indicators of moisture in the state, including groundwater levels, streamflows, reservoir levels, rainfall in the last 90 days, expected precipitation in the next 90 days and water use patterns across the state, (all that comes from the state climatologist, United States Geological Survey, National Weather Service, EPD staff, water utilities managers, etc.) to make that decision. There’s no formula and there’s no specifically defined scoring sheet. Instead, after collecting the sort of information described above, EPD makes a decision to (or not to) put water-use schedules in place. It’s not done lightly — there’s a lot of scientific data that goes into the decision and they realize the effect it has on day-to-day life for the people of Georgia. However, they do have your best interests in mind and are working to ensure a continued supply of drinking water.
Related Questions
- Does the schedules announced by EPD apply to the filling of private swimming pools or other water toys (sliding mats, sprinklers, etc.)?
- Do the schedules announced by EPD apply to outdoor water use for fundraisers (e.g., school/church car washes)?
- How does the EPD decide on times for outdoor water-use schedules?
