Georgia Environmental Protection Division Declares Drought Response Level 1

On April 27, 2026, after consideration of the drought severity and the water resource impacts, the Georgia Environmental Protection Division (EPD) declared a state-wide Drought Response Level 1 for public water systems using surface water and/or groundwater. EPD has been closely monitoring drought conditions in Georgia for months, and on Tuesday, April 21, 2026, EPD held conference calls with public water systems to discuss current water supply and EPD's consideration of issuing a Level 1 drought response. Following the conference calls, the public water systems had three days to submit any additional feedback before EPD could proceed with a drought response declaration.

As a result of the Level 1 Drought Response, public water systems must implement a public information campaign including, at a minimum, notice regarding drought conditions and drought-specific announcements in one or more of the following ways: newspaper or online ads, bill inserts, social media, and notices in public libraries. This public information campaign is designed to help citizens better understand drought, its impact on water supplies, and the need for water conservation.

Outdoor water use between the hours of 4 PM and 10 A.M. is still allowable and unaffected by a Drought Response Level 1. Public water systems may not impose restrictions on outdoor watering that are different from state requirements unless they obtain a variance from EPD.

As required by state law and rules, EPD determines whether specific environmental conditions warrant a drought response declaration based upon the severity of drought conditions and the impacts to water supply. One tool used to monitor and inform drought conditions is the U.S. Drought Monitor, issued weekly by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Factors that may potentially impact water supply include precipitation, stream flows, groundwater levels, reservoir levels, short-term climate predictions, and soil moisture. EPD monitors and produces reports on these conditions on a regular basis. These reports are published on the EPD website, along with information regarding drought indicators, current variances, and EPD actions regarding drought: https://epd.georgia.gov/watershed-protection-branch/drought-management. More information on water conservation is available at https://epd.georgia.gov/watershed-protection-branch/water-conservation.