Water for Metro Atlanta

[Pillsbury]

^ I guess it just comes down to conservation, which is something we're not very good at apparently. I love landscaped yards and nice green grass, but you know in the dead of July, when the heat index is well over 100, maybe having your yard look like Pebble Beach isn't in the best interest of the environment. I mean, there is a reason the Augusta National closes during the summer.

[Martinman]

Well I've never been confused with an environmentalist but just the simple fact that in one of the largest and fastest growing metros in the country where we KNOW water shortages are in our future and yet there is so little being done about it.

[poonther]

Your exactly right. I'm sure there are places that receive much more rain then Atlanta, but we are in fact the second rainiest "metropolitan" region in the country.

ATL is not in second place when it comes to annual rainfall in all metros in the USA and gets MORE average rain than Seattle. This data is based on rainfall averages from 1961 to 1990, but it shows many metros receiving more rain than ATL including my fair metro by more than 15 inches per year. Rainfall Data

[AubieTurtle]

You'll need all that extra rain after we suck off all the water that was going downstream so the McMansions can have yards that look like astroturf.

[Andrea]

You'll need all that extra rain after we suck off all the water that was going downstream so the McMansions can have yards that look like astroturf.

At least they have smaller yards than the McRanches and McBungalows that have been slapped up all over this town.

[AubieTurtle]

At least they have smaller yards than the McRanches and McBungalows that have been slapped up all over this town.

Do you have a point or are you just unhappy with the term McMansion?

Somehow I doubt that new infill homes in Kirkwood have larger yards than exurban homes in Cumming. I'm sure you could find an exception here or there but really, does it matter? Wasting water on the lawn is still wasting water on the lawn.

[Andrea]

Do you have a point or are you just unhappy with the term McMansion?

Somehow I doubt that new infill homes in Kirkwood have larger yards than exurban homes in Cumming. I'm sure you could find an exception here or there but really, does it matter? Wasting water on the lawn is still wasting water on the lawn.

Well, yes, Aubie, actually I do have a point, although I am no more bothered by McMansion than I am by terms like McRanch or McCondo. (I assume you're not bothered by the "Mc" prefix either).

What I was getting at is that the larger intown homes -- and there are plenty of them in Kirkwood, too -- have a a larger footprint and thus less lawn space. I wasn't thinking of the houses in Forsyth County, but I agree with you that they have huge yards.

[Hybrid0NE]

sounds like left wing mischef to me.

[maverick]

Desert? Atlanta is the second rainiest metropolitan region in the country...right behind Seattle.

[adelosky]

Well, this data is almost 17 years old so I'm not sure how accurate it is for 2007, but it's a calculation of precipation for the US from 1961-1990.

http://www.allcountries.org/uscensus/411_n...n_selected.html

[ATLman1]

It's raining in Atlanta!!!!!!! Finally!!!!

[maverick]

It's raining in Atlanta!!!!!!! Finally!!!!

[verge]

Probably has something to with the fact they have actually PLANNED for the lack of water in those areas while state officials here are unfamiliar with the word.

[FriskyDingo]

The immediate problem with the water shortage is, of course, lack of rain for an EXTENDED period of time - drought. The drought has caused our water supply to dwindle...not population growth, lack of individual conservation, or large suburban yards. There are cities and towns in the drought region that haven't experienced ANY real growth that are facing possibilities of running out of water.

North Georgia does need more resevoirs...Roy Barnes just announced that he's financing construction of some new lakes for Atlanta's water supply. The current lakes are enough for Atlanta - the problem is the Army Corps of Engineers and their practice of releasing billions of gallons downstream...this, along with the severe drought we're experiencing, is the reason for the water shortage. The Gov today has asked the White House to intervene and stop the Army Corp from causing further problems for North Georgia. He also declared a state of emergency and asked the president to officially decare the region a disaster area.

[ryanmckibben]

While rainfall has been below normal and the corps has not done a steller job managing the lake, I disagree with your assertion that those two things alone are the predominate reasons for our situation. The State has failed miserably to plan and implement a comprehensive water plan. Mother nature is not the cause of these types of situations. To imply that is to imply that we live outside nature and that occasionally she intrudes into our world. We are part of the natural system and droughts are a part of that system. They are something to be planned for not blamed when someones lack of foresight results in disaster.

Watresheds are regional in nature and thus are not subject to any one jurisdiction. In cases like those, absent a regional government structure, it is the responsibility of the State to ensure adequate infrastructure for its residents.

[FriskyDingo]

While rainfall has been below normal and the corps has not done a steller job managing the lake, I disagree with your assertion that those two things alone are the predominate reasons for our situation. The State has failed miserably to plan and implement a comprehensive water plan. Mother nature is not the cause of these types of situations. To imply that is to imply that we live outside nature and that occasionally she intrudes into our world. We are part of the natural system and droughts are a part of that system. They are something to be planned for not blamed when someones lack of foresight results in disaster.

Watresheds are regional in nature and thus are not subject to any one jurisdiction. In cases like those, absent a regional government structure, it is the responsibility of the State to ensure adequate infrastructure for its residents.

[monsoon]

.....

I'm wondering which U.S. city would have closed its doors to new residents and said "No more growth - we can't handle anymore residents in our city"? The answer is, no city would ever do this because new residents = new development = a healthy city moving in the right direction. .....

[FriskyDingo]

Well..... It's going to happen for the simple fact that cities as we see now have not planned and invested for these kind of events and more simply is that most Americans live a lifestyle that wastes too much fresh water, especially here in the SE. And this problem is going to get worse as downstream states sue upstream states for the water they have. As you mentioned, GA is eyeballing the water in Lake Hartwell, SC is suing NC over water in the Catawba Basin, and of course you all know the difficulties with Lake Lanier and Florida and Alabama.

Speaking of Lake Hartwell, the main source of water from this lake actually originates in NC and that water is controlled by a private company Duke Energy so it's a rather complicated situation. Atlanta's best bet is to invest in its own reservoir system as other large cities in the country have had to do and encourage the residents to cut water consumption.

[ryanmckibben]

1903-1905; 1924-1927; 1930-1935; 1938-1934; 1950-1957; 1980-1982; 1985-1989; 1998-2002; 2007-????.

These are the years the US Geological Survey classify as drought years for the state of Georgia (US Geological Survey). Clearly not an infrequent occurance. As for the plight of small town AL, TN, or any other state, yes it is most definately a lack of planning that has caused some towns to have to truck in drinking water from a neighboring towns hydrant. It is certalnly not a lack of rain that has put us in this situation, as cities such as Phoenix or Vegas get by on rainfall that would make our meager totals look monsoon-like. The Corps also is not to blame for doing the same thing they have always done (save the moron who released too much water accidently last year) which is to manage the lake in compliance with federal law. It's not as if the Corps just this year decided to start releasing water. We probably should have anticipated that they would continue to due so.

Please understand that I am not disagreeing with your assertions that rainfall has been below normal or that the releasing of water down river has lowered the leval of Lake Lanier. Both of those assertions are indeed correct. However, they are not the reason we are on the brink of a full blown crises. That responsibility rests squarely with the State of Georgia and, ultimately, us for not taking the steps needed to ensure this never happened.

[FriskyDingo]

1903-1905; 1924-1927; 1930-1935; 1938-1934; 1950-1957; 1980-1982; 1985-1989; 1998-2002; 2007-????.

These are the years the US Geological Survey classify as drought years for the state of Georgia (US Geological Survey). Clearly not an infrequent occurance. As for the plight of small town AL, TN, or any other state, yes it is most definately a lack of planning that has caused some towns to have to truck in drinking water from a neighboring towns hydrant. It is certalnly not a lack of rain that has put us in this situation, as cities such as Phoenix or Vegas get by on rainfall that would make our meager totals look monsoon-like. The Corps also is not to blame for doing the same thing they have always done (save the moron who released too much water accidently last year) which is to manage the lake in compliance with federal law. It's not as if the Corps just this year decided to start releasing water. We probably should have anticipated that they would continue to due so.

Please understand that I am not disagreeing with your assertions that rainfall has been below normal or that the releasing of water down river has lowered the leval of Lake Lanier. Both of those assertions are indeed correct. However, they are not the reason we are on the brink of a full blown crises. That responsibility rests squarely with the State of Georgia and, ultimately, us for not taking the steps needed to ensure this never happened.

[monsoon]

.....

What is the source of Lake Hartwell in N.C.? Maybe I'm getting misinformation from the U.S. Geological Survey website...

[912]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071030/ap_on_...ht_saving_water

The GA Aquarium is jumping on board with water conservation, as is Hartsfield Airport.

[pksiv]

As much as the leaders of Atlanta of Sonny Perdue want to blame the government, they fail to even point the fingers at themselves. You CAN NOT plan on having enough water for 5 million people by relying on 2 lakes. Poor planning and wasteful use are the reasons. Sprawl, hello, you can't keep building out and out and out without building more reserves. 2ndly, the dream of owning a big home in the suburbs with a large lawn that you feel the need to water twice a day, and most of it wind up on your house or in the street. Basic total disregard is to blame, and Shirley Franklin, wtf are you smoking, other states WILL NOT pipe you water, the whole SE is in the drought, were not going to deplete our sources to feed your retarded need to water your lawn. The bare basics is what Atlanta needs to use, realize, it'll take alot of rain to fill the lakes back up. Wish you all the best in hopes.