Newton Citizen

COVINGTON - Newton County residents, you may now wash your cars. But only between the hours of midnight and 10 a.m. and only on designated days of the week.

The Board of Commissioners approved relaxed watering restrictions Tuesday night with the consent of the Georgia Environmental Protection Division.

Under the new Level IV C restrictions, manual or automatic outdoor sprinkling is allowed, along with car washing, between midnight and 10 a.m.

Residents of even-numbered and unnumbered addresses may water Monday, Wednesday and Saturday. Residents with odd-numbered addresses can water Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday.

Filling of swimming pools, hand watering of existing landscape for 25 minutes per day and watering newly installed landscaping for up to 10 weeks under certain circumstances is also still allowed.

Washing of hard surfaces such as streets, gutters, sidewalks and driveways is prohibited, except when necessary for public health or safety.

The use of hydrants for non-public safety reasons is also prohibited.

The Board of Commissioners is asking the public to continue practicing water conservation methods and use water wisely.

"We still need to be conservation-minded despite the fact that we've reduced these watering restrictions," District 3 Commissioner Nancy Schulz said.

Those with questions regarding the new restrictions should call the customer service number on their water bills.

Crystal Tatum can be reached at crystal.tatum@newtoncitizen.com.

SideBar: At A Glance

New Watering Restrictions:

· Residential outdoor watering is allowed on an odd/even schedule between midnight and 10 a.m.

· Odd-numbered addresses may water Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays

· Even-numbered and unnumbered addresses may water Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays

Allowed

· Outdoor watering of yards/landscapes. Manual or automatic sprinkler systems are allowed. Must follow odd/even schedule between midnight and 10 a.m.

· Washing cars/boats; self-pressure washing of structures. Must follow odd/even schedule between midnight and

10 a.m.

· Filling and maintaining swimming pools, including full-size and wading pools. Unrestricted by time and day.

· Pressure washing of structures by a licensed professional. Unrestricted by time and day.

· Irrigation of food gardens. Unrestricted by time and day.

Not Allowed

· Outdoor water use of any kind on Fridays, with the exception of unrestricted uses.

· Pressure washing of solid surfaces such as sidewalks, driveways and gutters, except when needed for public health and safety.

· Use of hydrants for non-public safety reasons.