East Atlanta Residents Don't Face Any Additional Watering Restrictions

As sunny, 90-plus-degree days roll on — the recent storms notwithstanding — East Atlanta Patch residents might be confused about local watering restrictions. After all, some residents live inside the city limits, while others are in unincorporated DeKalb.

But no matter who collects their taxes or provides their services, residents aren’t facing any new local restrictions when it comes to watering their lawns or washing their cars.

Both DeKalb and the city of Atlanta continue to follow state-mandated restrictions, which went into effect in June 2010. And with summer officially arriving in less than two weeks, no tighter restrictions are foreseen by local officials.

In fact, Georgia's cities and counties can't impose watering rules that are more strict than those of the state. They can have looser rules, but Atlanta has not opted to do that, said Janet Ward, spokesperson for the Atlanta Department of Watershed Management.

Neither has DeKalb. “We are not aware of any pending changes from the state,” said county spokesman Burke Brennan.

So when can you water that moisture-deprived lawn, or wash that dusty vehicle in your driveway?

It depends on whether a home has an odd or even numbered address.

People who want to power wash or wash the car can do so on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays if they have an odd-numbered address. People with even-numbered and unnumbered addresses can tackle those chores on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays.

Got a vegetable garden in your backyard? You can water it anytime and any day, as long as you do so with a handheld hose and nozzle or a watering can. Soaker hoses are also allowed any time and any day, for any purpose.

Lawns, shrubs and other outdoor plants, however, can only be watered between the hours of 4 pm and 10 am. Outdoor watering is prohibited between the hours of 10 am and 4 pm.