High and Dry

Catoosa County has adequate water

Catoosa County Water Usage
April: 121 million gallons
September: 187million gallons

Yates Springs is one of the main water sources for Catoosa County along the Georgia-Tennessee border and the water supply isn't in jeopardy at this point.

Catoosa County Utility District Authority Board Chairman Jerry Lee says the county has adequate water.

But this year's drought has affected all of Northwest Georgia, and Catoosa County is no exception.

Currently, the county and the rest of the region are under the Level 4 water restriction order prohibiting outdoor watering, issued by Environmental Protection Division Director Carol Couch for most of North Georgia.

Both Lee and Ringgold City Manager Dan Wright advise citizens concerned that others are violating the water ban to contact their water suppliers.

Local public officials are also discouraging the unnecessary use of water with events like car wash fundraisers.

Wright also said the city of Ringgold is leading by example by not watering plants and grass around city buildings.

Representatives from the Catoosa Utility District say the use of "gray," or previously used water, for outdoor watering purposes is permissible.

According to numbers from the Catoosa Utility District, September saw a countywide water usage of 187 million gallons, up from 121 million gallons in April.

From Catoosa County News