Athens considers long-term drought plan

ATHENS - Athens could feel the effect of the drought long after it's over.

A committee will propose a permanent cap on the amount of water residents can use and a proposal that might involve a tiered pricing system to force big users to cut back.

Committee chairwoman Kathy Hoard says ``I think the days of having an endless supply of water based on what I can afford or other people can afford are no longer here.''

Residents who want more water for big yards and gardens will have to pay steeper prices under the plan.

It's not the first time commissioners have considered a tiered pricing scheme for water. They considered conservation pricing in 2000 and 2004 but never acted.

But the lingering drought gripping the Southeast may have prompted a new sense of urgency.

Athens is already nearing a so-called Step F drought management plan that could require industries, government and residents to cut their water use even further if the drought continues.