Outdoor Watering Restrictions Continue

The dog days of summer are here and if you have stepped outside recently you may agree that it's pretty hot and humid. Today's heat index levels are expected to reach between 103 to 107, according to Weather Bug.

Regardless of how hot it is Forsyth County's outdoor watering restrictions remain in effect.

"The county does typically see an increase in water usage when temperatures rise. With the hot weather, there is definitely an increase in irrigation," said Jodi Gardner, Forsyth County's director of communications, in an e-mail to Cumming Patch.

If you're going to stay cool, your best bet may be to stay indoors and keep hydrated. As for lawns and plants, here are the county's current outdoor water use rules.

Residents are allowed to run landscape watering by irrigation systems for planting, growing, managing or maintaining ground cover, trees, shrubs, or other plants between the hours of 4 p.m. and 10 a.m. on a daily basis.

The county web site states that the following outdoor water uses are allowed daily at any time:

• Hand watering with a shut-off nozzle or a handheld container

• Commercial agriculture

• Alternative sources of water (reuse water, rain water, condensate, etc.)

• Irrigation of personal food gardens Irrigation of newly installed or reseeded turf for the first 30 days

• Drip irrigation or soaker hoses

• Water from a private well

• Irrigation of plants for sale

• Irrigation of athletic fields, golf courses or public recreation turf

• Installation, maintenance or calibration of irrigation systems

• Hydroseeding

As for power washing the siding and driveway or washing cars, the county's odd/even watering schedule remains in effect.

Residents with odd-numbered addresses (ending in 1,3,5,7, or 9) may use water for purposes other than landscape watering on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays.

Even-numbered addresses (those ending with the number 0, 2, 4, 6, 8 or no number) may use water for purposes other than landscape watering on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays.

No hourly restrictions limit these activities.