4 NE Ga. counties facing tighter water use restrictions

WATKINSVILLE - Outdoor water use restrictions in Barrow, Jackson, Oconee and Athens-Clarke counties have been tightened.

The Upper Oconee Basin Water Authority approved the tightened restrictions because of a continued decline in the level of Bear Creek Reservoir, which provides water to the four counties.

While the state Environmental Protection Division still must approve the plan, the authority's operations chairman, Chris Thomas, said Thursday that shouldn't be a problem and expects to hear from EPD "within two or three days."

Thomas, who also serves as head of the Oconee County Public Utilities Department, says the lake was full as late as July but that the level has dropped six feet since them.

The new guidelines restrict outdoor water use to three days a week between 4 p.m. and 10 a.m. on an odd-even basis and not at all on Friday.