Drought spreading in Southeast

Georgians will be able to water their azaleas and swim in their pools this spring after the state eased a ban on outdoor watering.

Barely 400 miles away, residents of Raleigh, N.C., should be so lucky. Their city council just enacted the toughest water restrictions available, essentially banning all outdoor watering in Raleigh and six surrounding towns.

As the historic drought gripping much of the Southeast stretches into a second year, Atlanta and Raleigh find themselves in similar drought conditions but are adopting contrasting strategies.

Both depend on a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers lake for drinking water — Atlanta on Lake Lanier, Raleigh on Falls Lake. Both have experienced explosive growth that is straining water supplies. Both are still among the hardest-hit places in the region as the drought shows the first signs of abating.

North Carolina environmentalists say Raleigh shouldn't aspire to be like Atlanta in water management. "Up here, we constantly point to Atlanta as the failed example of what happens when you don't plan," says Dean Naujoks of the Neuse River Foundation. "I'm hopeful we don't make the same mistakes Atlanta has made."

More from USA Today