Mary Swift of GoDeKalb lists the ways Decatur and the county of DeKalb are dealing with the North Georgia water shortage. Water conservation efforts by the city include ceasing “irrigation of ball fields, limiting the washing of city vehicles and providing dry hand sanitizers in public buildings.” The city has also asked restaurants to turn off all water features and only serve water to customers if asked. Additionally, as you may have noticed, the city has taken down all the flower pots that once hung from downtown light poles.

In anticipation of further drought, Swift reports that the city may turn off outdoor drinking fountains and icemakers in public buildings.  I would hope that before we started limiting people’s accessibility to drinking water that it is assumed that the city would first cease ALL non-compulsory water use like “limited” washing of city vehicles.

The AJC detailed Georgia’s different levels of water restrictions a couple days ago. They are as follows…

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Photo courtesy of AJC (I love the framing of this shot)

Reported by the AJC, Decatur Square’s Celebration Mist Fountain has been shut off in compliance with the state’s Level 4 watering ban that prohibits the running of outdoor fountains.

Centennial Park’s famous jumping fountain, along with fountains in Marietta and Duluth have also reportedly gone dry in compliance with the ban.

One of the proposed Bandaids tossed around at Tuesday’s drought summit in Atlanta (there’s a drought summit?) was to extend the outdoor water ban through the summer 2008. The AJC leads with that headline. Other possible safeguards include reducing water from lakes Lanier and Allatoona, extending restrictions to some commercial businesses, and creating a network of connected water systems throughout different neighborhoods for “backup”.

Maybe the state should start with nixing Stone Mountain’s plan to make snow in the 80 degree heat for their new Coca-Cola Snow Park. It’s nearly as ridiculous as their $8 parking fee.

UPDATE:  Stone Mountain has bent to public pressure and turned off its snow machine.  Hat’s off to Decatur-DeKalb for predicting the shut off earlier this morning.