Drought in parts of Georgia forces water bans, conservation

Several metro counties and cities are making adjustments under extreme drought conditions.

Due to the lack of rain, many officials are encouraging people to limit outdoor water use.

The city of Canton in Cherokee County is asking residents to cut back on watering their lawns and using lawn irrigation systems. The city of Blairsville has a similar plan in place. However, Haralson County issued a state of emergency last week, mandating a total ban on outdoor water use.

Billy Peppers, the city manager of Canton, told FOX 5 Monday most people are adhering to limiting their outdoor water use. He hopes they can sustain that because, at this time, the city is using water from a reservoir to help with the decrease in water levels that it normally receives from the Etowah River.

“We haven't seen rain in a while so we have to be cognizant of water use. It's much more important for us to be able to turn on the tap for drinking water than it is to water the grass,” Peppers said.

The actions in all the aforementioned areas will remain in place until further notice.