Water Restrictions in Macon County, Tennessee, Lifted

Finally, a return to normal for the residents of Macon County, Tennessee, the area has been plagued by restrictions on water consumption for several months now. These restrictions were a reaction to an extreme drought in the area, and called for residents to cut back and in some instances even curtail water consumption for a period of several months.

Many local businesses whose industry surrounded the consumption of water such as Laundromats and car washes were forced to seek out alternative means of water supply from their normal operating procedures of simply using the city water that their businesses were based on. Some of the restrictions that had been placed on them included operating on city water only during certain hours and on certain days of the week.

Residents were held to restrictions as well. They were told to limit their time in the shower, the flushing of toilets, and to be sure water was not left running during routine household tasks such as brushing teeth and rinsing dishes. They were not allowed to fill or refill swimming pools, and the washing of houses or driveways was prohibited. Residents were prohibited from washing their vehicles. They were not allowed to water lawns, and the only water that could be given to flower gardens or vegetable gardens was what could be packed by hand as irrigation systems or sprinkler systems were against restrictions as well. The water restrictions on irrigation really hit the small community hard, as the mostly rural area, depends largely on crops such as burley tobacco and soybeans for their income.

Naturally, the lifting of these restrictions was welcome news to the community. While few will rush out to fill their swimming pools, as the weather in this area has already started turning towards a nice Tennessee winter, many will be washing driveways and washing their homes for the first time in months, which delighted many in the community as the idea of putting their Christmas decorations on a house covered in grime, had many residents feeling a lot less than cheery. You can also bet regardless of the weather, many car enthusiasts in the area will be relishing the opportunity to pull their vehicle into their front lawn and get it back to the sparkling shine that they prefer, and which can only be obtained with a thorough hand washing. While many residents will still be feeling the pinch in their wallets this Christmas season from ruined crops because of the drought, they can at least be thankful that those days are behind them, and that the water restrictions for the area have become only a memory of the summer of 2007.