Considering the water supply crisis in Georgia, Alabama & Florida, are water issues in the public's mind more?

I live in Georgia and what a lot of people don't know is that we've been in an almost constant drought for several years. We've had water bans and restrictions for as long as I can remember. So, yes, this news coverage has definitely put water more in the public eye. And maybe it will launch a few lightbulbs over people's heads. BUT what's crazy to me is that in Georgia we are not allowed to water ANYTHING outside, yet people who use our water in other states have absolutely no restrictions. Why is it that I live within 10 minutes of Lake Lanier, yet the people benefiting from the lake live hundreds of miles away?