U.S. Water News Online
SAVANNAH, Ga. -- Atlanta's water shortage problems drew little sympathy from coastal Georgia residents at a public hearing on a proposed statewide water management plan.
"They've got to curb growth," James Holland, a former crabber who represents the nonprofit Altamaha Riverkeeper conservation group, said. "They've got to start saving water on their own. I don't feel sorry for them."
About 50 people attended the hearing at Armstrong Atlantic State University's University Center.
Others echoed Holland's sentiments in discussing the plan, which lays out the use of controversial water-supply methods such as storing treated water in natural aquifers, taking water from one river to use in another area, and desalinating sea water.
"The metro Atlanta district must do much more than it has done regarding water conservation, fixing its leaky pipes, and switching from septic systems to sewer in high-density areas," said Sarah Barmeyer, water issues coordinator for the Georgia Wildlife Federation.
"Piping water from the Savannah River basin is not a realistic option. We need that water for our future," Barmeyer said.
Gov. Sonny Perdue said he will file a lawsuit demanding the Army Corps of Engineers restrict water flow from Georgia reservoirs. Of particular concern is Lake Lanier northeast of Atlanta, the booming metro area's main water supply.
Millions of gallons are now sent downstream to Florida and Alabama. The drought has heightened tensions among the three states, which have been locked in an ongoing dispute over how to manage the region's limited water supply.
The state's environmental chief, Carol Couch, warned the Corps would be "abandoning the people of the state of Georgia" and setting the stage for a "potential disaster" if it refused the deadline.
But environmentalists contend the state should have been better prepared for a water shortage, which they say is an inevitable result of decades of pro-growth policy that led to metro Atlanta's sprawl.
Bob Scanlon, facilities maintenance director for Savannah, did not offer a public comment at the meeting. Afterward, however, he said the city sees science as being critical to the plan.
"We need it to be based on natural science, not political science," he said.
An analysis by both the state Environmental Protection Division and the Public Interest Research Group shows current funding of water resources planning and regulatory enforcement for water protection is somewhere around half of what's needed, said Wesley Woolf of the Center for a Sustainable Coast.
"Creative methods may be required for financing the costs of planning and implementation, but shortchanging the program is not an option if we hope to enjoy its benefits," he said.
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