Canton bans outdoor watering; others to follow?

CANTON - Canton officials issued a total ban on outdoor watering Tuesday, citing low levels at the Etowah River. <br> <br> With a four-year drought affecting Georgia, stream levels across the state are their lowest in years, officials said. The last 12 months were the driest the state has seen in more than 100 years, according to state climatologist David Stooksbury. <br> <br> ``If we have another seven to 10 days like the last, with little to no rainfall and with temperatures in the mid-90s, I suspect many other water systems will institute total outdoor watering bans,&#39;&#39; he said. <br> <br> Canton, in Cherokee County, also supplies water to the cities of Waleska and Holly Springs and other entities. <br> <br> ``The river at our intake is extremely low. If it keeps going like it is, we&#39;re going to have some serious problems,&#39;&#39; said Brady Curl, project manager for Optech, the city&#39;s contractor for water collection and distribution. <br> <br> Curl said Canton&#39;s water plant is pumping at its full capacity of 5.4 million gallons per day, up from its normal 3.8 to 4 mgd level. <br> <br> Carroll County and the city of Carrollton are also under a total outdoor watering ban. Metro Atlanta cities and counties remain under a partial, every-other-day ban that began in June 2000. The rest of the state is under less stringent rules. <br> <br> ``We&#39;ve got a river that&#39;s very low,&#39;&#39; Canton Mayor Cecil Pruett said. ``We haven&#39;t had rain in a long time, and water usage has gone up substantially. We need to slow it down a bit and take it (restrictions) up another step.&#39;&#39; <br> <br> Pruett said the city will enforce the mandate and issue warnings on first offense, $50 fines on second, $100 on third and disconnection of water service on fourth offense with a $500 charge for reconnection. <br> <br> In May, the state Environmental Protection Division declined to tighten water restrictions throughout Georgia, a move that had been under consideration. <br> <br> The summer&#39;s recent rain pattern has provided a decent soaking every couple of weeks, EPD spokesman Kevin Chambers said Tuesday. ``It pulls everyone out of the fire for a little while,&#39;&#39; he said. ``We didn&#39;t get that last round.&#39;&#39; <br> <br> EPD will continue to evaluate whether the state needs to impose the outdoor watering bans, he said. <br> <br> The Chattahoochee River at Cornelia, upstream from Lake Lanier, hit a record low Tuesday, Stooksbury said. The river and lake supply most of metro Atlanta&#39;s drinking water. <br> <br> Pruett said that with sufficient rain, the watering ban could be lifted. <br> <br> ``We certainly do not want to cause a hardship,&#39;&#39; he said, ``but we don&#39;t want to take any chances.&#39;&#39;