Cobb County’s two treatment plants are taking in about one third their normal capacity -- a testament to their conservation, but troublesome too.

“We already are doing several measures to conserve water so when you’re already conserving to start with an extra 10% become very difficult to achieve,” said plant manager Stan Brinkley.

It can also be a tough sell in neighborhoods like Lake Somerset Drive where a leak off and on for more than a month has some residents questioning the county’s resolve.

“We’re doing everything we can to conserve, I’m sure everyone on this street is doing the same thing, but when you see water leaks like this you say, ‘Why?’ said resident John Fodor.

The county is getting serious with a new set of ultra-tight restrictions. Residences using more than 30,000 gallons of water a month will pay 52% more than base rate for that extra consumption. Usage above the 50,000 gallon mark will cost more than double.

“It’s a high water use and we think we’d like their attention and we’d like to show them how to use less water,” said Kathy Nguyen with the Cobb County Water System.

Commercial users must consume only 90% of the water they used last winter. “Then we’ll be looking at their monthly consumption to see if they exceed that number,” said Nguyen.

The first violation brings a warning, the second will bring a 25% surcharge.

Stan Brinkley has been treating Cobb water for 33 years and this is new ground. “This is the first time we’ve been faced with a crisis like this and it’s going to take some extreme measures to get through it,” he said.

Schools are also considered commercial users and they too must cut consumption by 10%.

For more information on other restrictions for landscapers and car washes, Click Here.