With every turn of the water nozzle, Columbia County's Water Works Department reaps more funds.

Despite guidelines and limits on outdoor watering, officials say the recent warmer and drier conditions are spurring greater water sales. That's surplus money that goes back to further improving the county's water system.

"We're probably up on sales 10 to 15 percent," said Billy Clayton, the county's water works director. "Normally with the money we make on the surplus sales, that's the money that we take and invest right back into the system," he said.

Mr. Clayton said that in past years he's been able to use such surplus funds from greater water use to build three 5-million-gallon ground storage tanks, "which goes back to benefit the customer."

Such tanks are useful in times of peak water demand and help with firefighting emergencies.

With any heavy rain, such as that received this past weekend and in some areas Tuesday, demand dramatically drops. Soon after this weekend's deluge, demand decreased to 10 million gallons a day, Mr. Clayton said.

"It's like somebody sticks a stopper in the system," he said.

The county can meet a maximum demand of 40 million gallons a day.

Mr. Clayton said that much like the current outdoor watering rules, heavy rains tremendously help the county's water supply.

"What it (a heavy rain) does is what hopefully the no-watering-on-Monday is designed to do," he said.

"It gives us a chance to refill all the reserves."