Unfortunately, water shortage isn't a very sexy subject, until you are the one short. Most people don't know that Atlanta could suck the Savannah dry.
We've said it and said it and said it: Metro Atlanta wants Augusta's water.
Georgia's capital and its sprawling suburbs have coveted the Savannah River Basin for years. The state's most populous area slurps up about 200 million gallons a day from the Chattahoochee River, and it doesn't get put back.
Atlanta is thirsty. And apparently it's looking at the CSRA. Again.
Gov. Sonny Perdue's Water Contingency Task Force released a report this past week that, among other things, floated ideas on how metro Atlanta could supplement its water supply. The 80-member panel -- heavy on businessmen but light on actual scientists -- laid out several options, including the absolute worst option for the Augusta area: pumping water out of the Savannah River Basin.
It's called an "interbasin transfer," the bulk movement of water from point A to point B. It would suck water out of the Savannah River area and leave behind many environmental problems, particularly with aquatic ecosystems.
Senate Bill 130, passed in 2001, prohibits metro Atlanta's water planning district from pursuing interbasin transfers from outside its boundaries. And one of the key planning assumptions from metro Atlanta's water management plan in September 2003 sounds abundantly clear: "Interbasin water transfers from outside the District would neither be studied nor included in any District plan."
But that was then. Now, Atlanta has to cope with a federal judge's ruling last summer that found it illegal for the metro area to draw water from Lake Lanier because it was built for hydropower and not as a water supply. The order: Stop taking water from Lanier within three years, or get Congress to give permission to take it.
Now, it looks like officials are examining angles to circumvent the intent of Senate Bill 130.
Almost two years ago, when the state was in the throes of a bad drought, the General Assembly passed a statewide water management plan that sorely lacked enough reasoned input from environmentalists and other experts. As a result, the plan has a loophole you can drive a truck through -- or, in this case, pump a river through.
In theory, the Atlanta area can't take Savannah River water. Realistically, however, it still could.
Actually, it already is.
State regulations define water in such a way that, as long as the water is treated, it can be sold and transferred from one basin to another. So Toccoa, Ga., which draws water from the Savannah River Basin, treats that water and sells it to Habersham County, which releases its treated wastewater into the Chattahoochee River -- and it flows right down to Atlanta.
The daily amount is 1 million gallons -- relatively small. But Frank Carl, former executive director of the environmental advocacy group Savannah Riverkeeper, correctly pointed out earlier this year that it's the precedent that's the problem.
Bert Brantley, a spokesman for Gov. Perdue, hastens to point out that the task force's report last week should not be considered a plan. It's merely a presentation of all the available options.
But poaching water from the Savannah River shouldn't be an option. The CSRA shouldn't have to quench Atlanta's thirst at the expense of depriving our vibrant riverside industry of its water. If river flow goes down, productivity goes down with it. And on the river's three lakes, how attractive would recreation be if the lake levels dropped?
The governor's task force found that interbasin transfers would be very expensive. But that's hardly an assurance that such transfers won't happen. When was the last time you heard of a government that had serious reservations about spending money?
Want to spend money more cost-effectively? Vigorously promote conservation. Expand reservoirs. Build new lakes. Sink more groundwater wells. All of those options would be less expensive than assembling a network of pipes and pumping stations to take water out of the Savannah.
Water is this river city's lifeblood, and it must be protected.
Comments
Unfortunately, water shortage isn't a very sexy subject, until you are the one short. Most people don't know that Atlanta could suck the Savannah dry.
Yep we are coming for your water..Why don't we all move to the Martinez,Evans,Augusta area instead,,, now wouldn't that be nice?? I might have to wait before moving back home...have to see what direction the water flows...
And there's never mention that the entire watershed is shared with South Carolina. None of it belongs to Atlanta. The discussion is absurd.
Isn't the Tennessee river closer? Additionally, I believe it is at a level that would not require pumping stations down to Atlanta. Seems simple either syphon from the north at no cost or punp up from the east at huge costs.
A subject dear to my heart. The effect on the river of less water has to be emphasized to everyone all the way to the city of Savannah. Savannah will be particularly hard hit due to salt water intrusion.
I hope the next Gov. will make some good decisions on our water problem.. They could have built basins to catch some of this excess we had this year..but noooo we are spending mucho bucks for attorneys..
The water in Georgia actually belongs to Alabama. It is called the Tuscaloosa Aquifer. ROLL TIDE ROLL
Why is it the N. Augusta and Aiken County do not have water restrictions? If they are pumping from the Savannah River. Could it be a Disgusta "mismanagement issue"? Could it be a Disgusta "distribution issue"? Strange?? But what is not strange in Disgusta. Twelve inch water mains reduced to four inch pipes inlarged to twelve inch pipes. Is there a "Fluid Mechanics Engineer" in the house?
How can Sonny make anymore demands on Lake Thurmond? Between keeping downstream river flows constant during a drought, more needs at Vogtle for the new reactors, pumping water upstream to keep Lake Russell full, and an all out assault on recent level gains by the Corps. Sorry Atlanta, we are not even able to maintain our current needs.
just more bad planning by our government officals,when are you people going to wake or come out of your coma and realize the government can't run anything never have never will
Deekster, oh yes, NA and AC have had water restrictions before. Been there. NA and AC, however, have done a better job in increasing their water treatment infrastructure commensurate with the increase in their population. Augusta raided its water money to run the City of Augusta. It's pretty bad when the NA commissioners publically say "We look at Augusta, and we don't want to make their mistakes"
I have been wondering about this: The judge said that Atlanta could no longer withdraw drinking water from LAKE LANIER because of some mumbo-jumbo wording in the federal law that authorized the building of Buford Dam. To me, a simple way to get around the judge's order would be for Atlanta to install new drinking water intake pipes BELOW Buford Dam. That portion of the Chattahoochee is considered "waters of the state" and the federal judge would have no jurisdiction. Problem solved?
Atlanta has shared the problem with west coast city's .... They overbuilt the water shed .... Back in the 70's the Corp expressed concern about the amount of resources Atlanta could pull from Lanier ... It seems that everyone around the big town knew what was in store ... The legal Mumbo Jumbo hides the fact that the city of ATL. ignores, Lanier can't keep up with the extra demand and a intake below the dam will run another river dry ( One river is already dry and a second going dry keeping up with demand ). The poor planning will cost everyone .
The Savannha River doesn't "belong" to Georgia. South Carolina has a say in this.
Supreme court decision settling The "Rice Boat War" Georgia was given The water and the islands on river to the S.C. banks ... I don't know about any agreements since that 1800's decision ...
Page 93 U. S. 6
both states and exempt from all duties, tolls, hindrance, interruption, or molestation whatsoever attempted to be enforced by one state on the citizens of the other, and all the rest of the River Savannah to the southward of the foregoing description is acknowledged to be the exclusive right of the State of Georgia."....................................end quote
The war between the states ( Ga and SC ) is all but lost to history but bad blood exsisted before the Revolution but kicked up a notch after ...there were duels fought and armys formed that shot at each other ... If you look at the history books from this era you'll never find any hint of what all went on ....Gotta love those old books they give you the down and dirty...
Metro Atlanta does not want Augusta's water. It wants to utilize Lake Lanier for water supply. This is the best option for everyone in the region and the environment. While this remains a "water war," Augusta's enemies are Alabama and Florida, not Atlanta.
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