Area homeowners received some good news this past week as they learned that the watering restrictions for Level IV drought areas have loosened a bit. Residents are now allowed to use drip irrigations systems and soaker hoses to water their shrubs, trees and flower beds for up to one hour, three days a week.

It will be nice to see the profusion of colors that should soon be popping back up in folks' yards.

We are not completely out of the drought conditions that have plagued Georgia for the last few years. But, the heavy rains thus far this year are beginning to help.

We would ask each of you to honor these new rules because abusing them will put us quickly back into conditions that warranted the old rules, which at best, were not good for our yards.