Fayette, Coweta and South Fulton residents have been ordered to drop almost all residential outdoor watering as the state continues to reel from drought conditions.

So forget watering the lawn or washing your car ... that is unless you hit a local car wash, as they are allowed to remain open under rules of the Georgia Environmental Protection Division.
Residents may also continue to water personal food gardens and use reclaimed wastewater, captured stormwater or water collected from cooling systems such as home air conditioners.

The rules apply to the counties in the northern third of the state, the EPD announced.

The watering ban does not apply to a number of businesses that use significant amounts of water, including car washes, professionally certified or licensed landscapers during the installation and 30 days prior of new landscaping.

Also exempt are fruit and vegetable growers, retail garden centers, construction sites, hydro-seeding and power-washing businesses and producers of food and fiber.

The EPD also allows golf courses to have limited watering of certain areas such as greens unless the course uses reclaimed wastewater, as does Peachtree City’s Planterra Ridge Golf Club.