"We are using a little more water," Gainesville Public Utilities Director Kelly Randall said, "but we're still down considerably from last year at the height of the drought."
Randall said Tuesday the average so far this month is 17.76 million gallons per day, compared to 18.44 last June when outdoor water use was severely limited. In the middle of summer in 2007, the average was 21.06 million gallons per day and in 2006 it was 23.22.
Randall said he believes there are a number of reasons people are not rushing out to water their lawns, flower beds and shrubbery. He said they are more aware of the need to conserve water and they've changed their habits... that they realize that maybe they don't necessarily have to water everyday, just two or three times a week.
And, too, he theorizes that the economy is playing a part in it as well. Maybe they are trying to save on their water bill, Randall said, and, for sure, he says, the construction industry is not using as much water.
Cobb County was among those places reporting a big increase in water use the past two weeks, especially this past weekend.
In Gwinnett County, more water was used on Sunday than on any other day so far this year, according to Neal Spivey, the county's director of water production. Spivey said not much difference was noted in Gwinnett the first week after the restrictions were lifted "because of all the rain" we were having. Then, during the second week, when the rains subsided and temperatures began to warm, there was a noticeable increase in water use, culminating in the year-to-date daily high on Sunday.
"We are using a little more water," Gainesville Public Utilities Director Kelly Randall said, "but we're still down considerably from last year at the height of the drought."
http://accesswdun.com/article/2009/6/221318