Don’t expect to be served a glass of water the next time you go to a restaurant in DeKalb County.
The county government has instructed about 5,000 food service establishments to serve water only to customers who request it, a restriction put in place in response to drought conditions.
"Even though we've had some rain lately, we remain in a drought and it is important that everyone conserve water at every opportunity," said DeKalb Watershed Director Scott Towler in a statement Wednesday.
The Georgia Environmental Protection Division declared a Level 2 drought last month in 52 counties, including metro Atlanta and much of north Georgia.
The order limits outdoor watering to two days a week, and no water can be used for outdoor fountains, car washes or power washing of homes.
In addition, metro water systems must enact a variety of conservation initiatives, such as limited restaurant water service, public information campaigns, prohibitions on street cleaning and covering pools, according to the EPD.
DeKalb’s government also recommended that restaurants check for water leaks, fill dishwashers to capacity, replace spray heads with high-efficiency models and scrape dishes before washing them to prevent pipe clogs.
