CUMMING, Ga. (AP) — They came bearing excuses: Complaints of faulty sprinkler systems, drought-starved grass or flat-out ignorance of new water restrictions. And they left, for the most part, with lighter wallets.
Last week, a couple of dozen people packed the cramped magistrate court in Forsyth County, the northern Georgia community that refuses to water down its enforcement of water violations. Just about all of them quietly pleaded guilty and paid fines that started at $100.
“Water demand has tightened up. Our rules have been well-publicized; people have been notified and most people here today got a warning,” said Charles Laughinghouse, chairman of the county commission. “They’re here today to pay the piper.”
Many Georgia counties and cities have called for stricter water limits in reaction to the severe drought gripping most of the state. But few places are enforcing the rules as strictly as Forsyth County, a suburban community about 40 miles north of Atlanta.
Where other local authorities stop at the warnings, Forsyth County is slapping violators with stiff penalties. Twenty-two violators were summoned to court Wednesday to face fines of up to $500.
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