Oct. 24 (Bloomberg) -- Georgia Governor Sonny Perdue ordered utilities and public water systems to reduce consumption by 10 percent amid the state's worst drought in almost a century.

The restrictions go into effect Nov. 1 and will continue indefinitely, affecting 61 North Georgia counties, Perdue said in a statement yesterday evening.

``I encourage all Georgians to make their dry lawns and dirty cars a badge of honor,'' he said.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers estimates Atlanta's reservoir Lake Lanier may run out of clean water in 110 days. The area has received 25 inches (64 centimeters) of rain this year, less than half the 50 inches it usually gets, according to the National Weather Service. Parts of Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, South Carolina and Tennessee have similar drought conditions.

About 55 percent of Atlanta's water is used by individuals and families, with 21 percent going to office buildings, hotels and restaurants, according to data by the Metro North Georgia Water Planning District.

``I am glad to see the governor act,'' said Ciannat Howett, director of sustainability initiatives at Atlanta's Emory University, which is asking students to take three-minute showers to cut water use. ``Everyone is struggling to figure out ways to do more. People have to consider water conservation in their daily habits.''

On Oct. 20, Perdue signed an executive order declaring a state of emergency in 85 counties in Georgia due to the drought.

Endangered Species

He also sent a letter to President George Bush seeking a temporary exemption from the Endangered Species Act to reduce water flows from the state. The day before, the state asked a federal judge to immediately force the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to curb releases of water from federal reservoirs.

Georgia contends humans need the water more than the federally protected mussels and spawning sturgeon downstream that benefit from the water drawn from Lake Lanier. The corps estimates there's enough water to last about 110 days if the drought holds, before reaching the murky water at the bottom that's more expensive to treat.

``The damage caused by the Corps' failure to anticipate this drought will be irreparable by the time this case comes up for trial,'' says the motion filed in the U.S. District Court in Jacksonville, Florida.

The Corps is asking the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to allow it to reduce the output from Lake Lanier to help mitigate Atlanta's water problem, corps spokeswoman Nanciann Regalado said. It will submit a proposal by Oct. 30.

To contact the reporters on this story: Mary Jane Credeur in Atlanta at mcredeur@bloomberg.net; Steve Matthews in Atlanta at smatthews@bloomberg.net.

Last Updated: October 24, 2007 11:51 EDT