In metro Atlanta, however, the 10 a.m.-to-10 p.m. and odd-even restrictions are still in effect. Metro counties include Bartow, Cherokee, Clayton, Cobb, Coweta, DeKalb, Douglas, Fayette, Forsyth, Fulton, Gwinnett, Hall, Henry, Paulding and Rockdale. Rainfall has been abundant in many areas of the state, but in the metro area, it hasn't been consistently above average.

"Recent rainfall and everyone's efforts to conserve water have helped us move away from immediate threats to our water supply in most of the state," said EPD director Harold Reheis.

But Drought's Not Over

"Full recovery of all our water supply sources, however, is expected to take a while longer," Reheis said. "We continue to record below-average stream flows in many locations around Georgia. And low levels in several of our groundwater sources continue to be a major concern.

"Therefore," he said, "we cannot lift restrictions entirely in the 144-county area, and we must maintain the current outdoor water-use restrictions in the 15-county metro Atlanta area for the near term."

Local water utilities may also elect to maintain or tighten their existing restrictions if they deem them necessary to preserve water supplies. Local utilities don't need permission from EPD to tighten restrictions.

For more detailed information, go to the "Drought in Georgia" Web site at www.georgiadrought.org.