Atlanta Progressive News

The City of Atlanta issued a press release Monday in which Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin urges all Atlantans to continue conserving water even though the statewide drought declaration has been lifted.

“Our water resources are not unlimited,” Franklin said in the release. “The City of Atlanta is doing its part with the $4 billion Clean Water Atlanta water and sewer infrastructure overhaul, and we hope that Atlantans continue to do their part by conserving water wherever possible.”

The city wasted no space in patting itself on the back for how it dealt with the drought over the last two years:

Atlantans rose to the challenge over the last two years during the recent drought, cutting their usage by 17 percent over pre-drought usage. In addition, Atlantans’ outdoor water use is very low compared with that of our neighbors, with a 23 percent to 26 percent increase during the summer months; many of the metro area counties see an increase between 50 percent and 100 percent over the summer.

Programs put in place to encourage water conservation in the commercial/industrial community have yielded impressive results, as well. Atlanta’s Top 50 users, which range from hotels to soft drink plants to tourist destinations like the Georgia Aquarium have cut their use dramatically. All 50 have shown usage decreases, some by as much as 45 percent.

The release also details how measures taken today will save Atlanta water tomorrow:

Additionally, at Mayor Franklin’s direction, the City has created a Sustainable Building Ordinance that significantly tightens water efficiency standards for new buildings, The ordinance is currently pending before the City Council.
 
Programs completed or currently under way as part of Clean Water Atlanta also are contributing to decreased usage by eliminating leaks that waste millions of gallons of water. The City is spending hundreds of millions of dollars to inspect every inch of its 1,600 miles of sewer pipe, repairing or replacing pipe when it is deemed necessary. To date, Atlanta has evaluated almost 1,300 miles of pipe and completed rehabilitation of 314 miles of the 600 miles it is estimated will need to be rehabbed. 

Atlanta also purchased the Bellwood gravel quarry, which will eventually be a 1.2-billion-gallon reservoir. Design on the project, which will be part of what will become the City’s largest park, is ongoing. 
 
The City also has replaced about 100 miles of water mains, some of which were originally installed in the early 1900s, and it is repairing more than 750 reported leaks every month (for comparison purposes, the contractor that ran the drinking water system prior to 2003 repaired about 750 leaks a year!) 

So why put out this release on July 20? The state declared the drought over on June 10. Maybe it will help soften the blow when Atlantans realize the dire potential fallout that could result from a recent federal court decision.

A federal court ruled Friday that the U.S. Corps of Engineers has been illegally rerouting water from Lake Lanier to meet the drinking water needs for Metro Atlanta.

U.S. District Court Judge Paul Magnuson said the case needs a congressional solution. Magnuson ordered the Lanier withdrawal levels to remain at their current level – but not increase – for three years to give lawmakers a chance to work out a compromise.

Here’s where it gets scary: If there is no solution after that time, Magnuson’s order goes into effect and Metro Atlanta will no longer be allowed to use Lanier as its primary water source.

“Only Gainesville and Buford will be allowed to withdraw water from the lake,” Magnuson said in the order. “The court recognizes that this is a draconian result. It is, however, the only result that recognizes how far the operation of the Buford [Dam] project has strayed from the original authorization.” 

Local and state officials were quick to react. The city issued the following statement after Magnuson handed down the ruling:

Water is a critical resource. The City of Atlanta is spending billions of dollars rebuilding its water infrastructure under federal consent decrees. As mayor, I recognize the seriousness of the ruling and also the value of proper resource stewardship. Clean water is needed for public health, fire protection and economic development for every person and community in Georgia. The Governor and the State have the lead in this case and we and the other Metro Area water providers are following their lead. This is not only a local or regional issue, but a national issue. We welcome the opportunity to resolve it fairly and amicably.

From Gov. Sonny Perdue:

Obviously, I am deeply disappointed by Judge Magnuson’s decision today. His conclusions rely on decades-old assumptions about the construction of federal reservoirs and the role those reservoirs play in providing water supply for growing states such as Georgia. Our country has changed substantially since the 1940s, when many of these reservoirs were constructed, and I will use this opportunity not only to appeal the judge’s decision but, most importantly, to urge Congress to address the realities of modern reservoir usage. The judge’s ruling allows a three-year window for either Congressional action or an agreement by the states and we will work diligently with Georgia’s delegation and members of Congress to re-establish the proper use of federal reservoirs throughout the country.

Georgia Sens. Johnny Isakson and Saxby Chambliss issued this joint statement:

The judge’s ruling places the decision of allocation of water from Lake Lanier solely on the shoulders of Congress. As members of the U.S. Senate from Georgia, we will work tirelessly to reach an agreement that is in the best interest of Georgia while at the same time respecting the interests and concerns of Florida and Alabama. This is a huge challenge, but it is a challenge we must meet.