Burke dry but better than most
By Anne Marie Kyzer Staff Writer

Despite withering cotton and parched lawns, Burke County is still not suffering the same fate as most of Georgia when it comes to the disastrous drought plaguing the southeast, according to the Georgia Climatologist's Office.

While three-quarters of the state deal with an exceptional drought, which is the most severe classification and occurs once in about a century, Burke County is battling a severe drought, or one that could occur once about every 20 years.

"You're not nearly as bad off as other parts of the state are," assistant state climatologist Pam Knox said. "Burke County is in a transition zone, sort of between the badly hit areas and those not impacted."

Some 144 counties in the state are seeing worse right now.

But Knox stressed that the lesser classification was no reason to slack up on sensible water conservation measures.

Some 26.83 inches of rain have fallen on Burke County since the year's start, compared to an average of 40.41 inches by this time of year, according to Knox.

Local well driller Tommy Rowell has seen the effects of the 13.58 rainfall deficit first hand in his business.

"I have had to lower quite a few wells, probably one or two a week," he said, adding that the ones needing attention are older, shallower wells. "I've never seen it this dry in wells before."

Rowell said he hasn't had to lower wells since a few in 1998 and believes it will take a while to recover from the current drought.

"We're taking away more than is being replenished," he said, commenting on the toll the drought has taken on the aquifers.

City administrator Jerry Coalson said Waynesboro residents seem to be doing their part conserving supplies.

"We have seen a pretty dramatic cutback on water use through the summer," he said. "Folks are settling into the fact that they're not going to have the lush green lawns they're used to."

Coalson said that in past water usage during the summer has been over two million gallons per day, but there have been days this summer when usage was below one million.

Water superintendent Jody Ellison said the drinking water supply, which is drawn from Brier Creek and two deep wells, does not appear in jeopardy right now.

"The creek is low, but I have seen it lower in past years," he said.