Level 1 drought response declared for all of Georgia; officials urge water conservation

The Georgia Environmental Protection Division declared a Drought Response Level 1 for the entire state on Monday.

With the declaration, all public water systems have been ordered to implement a public information campaign to "help citizens better understand drought, its impact on water supplies, and the need for water conservation."

The agency says that the campaign must have at least a minimum notice about drought conditions and drought-specific announcements.

The declaration does not set limits on outdoor water use for Georgians. Instead, public water systems are not allowed to impose any restrictions on outdoor watering unless they obtain an exception from the state agency.

This is the first of three levels of Georgia's drought response and the least restrictive. At the second level, some outdoor water use is limited or stopped. At the third and highest level, many types of outdoor watering are prohibited or restricted, and surcharge programs are implemented.

The response comes as the U.S. Drought Monitor's data shows that all of Georgia is at least in some form of drought, with the majority of the state either in extreme or exceptional drought. At that level, fire risk is high.

A burn ban remains in place for 91 of Georgia's 159 counties due to the dry weather.