I checked the water restrictions for Clarke County today and apparently there is no pressure washing allowed even by contractors unless it is in preparation for painting. I know there are many areas still in “drought” conditions, but our area which includes Athens, GA, has had good rains during the winter. So I pose the question, “will it ever be ok to pressure wash in Athens again”? To conserve water is good but to go overboard and take away the opportunity to clean a house exterior before it gets so dirty that some things won’t ever come off is ridiculous. Small businesses that rely on pressure washing as their main business service are really hurt by over the top restrictions. Fortunately that is not my main service but if it were I would just find something else to do as it is just too much trouble in some areas. Oconee County has a decent policy where they just require a one day permit. You can even have it faxed to you to avoid a trip to the water dept. For anyone who thinks Clarke County is saving the water supply from disappearing by banning pressure washing needs to think how little water is used by this service overall. How many times per week did you notice even one house being washed before the ban? Not many more than now with the ban. It is just not a service in huge demand. But for businesses that provide the service, an unnecessary ban can really hurt.
