Athens Swimming Pools To Fill As Dry Summer Draws Near

by Andre Gallant
03/28/2008

Drought or no, beating the heat during a Georgia summer can be difficult. And swimming pools are often the most effective tool in fighting off the brutal temperatures.

Children and parents alike find relief in community pools that act as daycares in the summer months, and social functions from college parties to barbeques find their hub in the urban ponds.

But as the total outdoor water use ban imposed by state and local officials last September began its seventh month, the likelihood of a wet and wild summer remained uncertain.

Then on March 12, Athens-Clarke County Mayor Heidi Davison announced that the county would ease limits on outdoor water use, allowing local pools to be filled and maintained.

Under the revisions, pools can be “topped off” without a permit, but anyone wanting to fill/refill a pool will need to complete an application with the Public Utilities Department, located at 1865 W. Broad St.

There’s no charge for the permit, but officials need to know how much water is needed to fill the pool before the permit can be issued, Conservation Director Steve Dorsch said in an email.

The state requires that counties keep water use down 10 percent from 2007 levels, and officials need to keep track of daily water consumption.

So, if daily water permits already exceed the 100,000-gallon a day threshold set by the department, pool owners may have to wait a day or two for approval.

State officials cited public health and safety concerns when they freed pools from the outdoor water use ban in February.

Empty pools are mosquito breeding grounds and pose many other risks, but officials also recognize the impact swimming has on the summertime blues.

"We know very well that when you think about public welfare, that includes recreation, something for kids to do during the summer," Environmental Protection Division Director Dr. Carol Couch told NPR in February.

ACC Commissioner Kelly Girtz said that increased river flow and a full reservoir influenced the county’s decision to ease restrictions.

Local changes - stricter than state recommendations - prioritize the use of water on landscapes, which are part of “a larger community goal of increased tree canopy and green space,” Girtz said in an email.

Girtz said that over use in any setting in the greatest threat to our water resources and we all need to be conservation conscious as the drought continues.

The Georgia Environmental Protection Division offers a few water saving tips for pool users:

• Using a pool cover will reduce water loss due to evaporation.
• Turn down the temperature on heated pools and spas.
• Keep the filter clean.
• Keep diving and horseplay to a minimum. Spillage is a major source of water loss.

ACC Mayor Davison said that although there’s no schedule to further ease outdoor water use as the summer months approach, a return to strict limits might become necessary if the drought worsens, according to reporting by the Athens Banner-Herald.

Additional information on water conservation can be found at ACC's Drought page.

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