Perdue calls for 10 percent cut in water use

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UPDATED: 9:20 p.m. October 23, 2007
Perdue calls for 10 percent cut in water use

By STACY SHELTON
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 10/23/07

Gov. Sonny Perdue Tuesday ordered public water providers in North Georgia to cut their withdrawals by 10 percent starting Nov. 1.

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Under threat of yet-to-be-determined fines, public water systems in 61 counties will have to make the reduction based on what they used from December 2006 through March 2007 — winter months when demand already was low. The forced reduction will continue indefinitely. Farms are excluded.

"I encourage all Georgians to make their dry lawns and dirty cars a badge of honor," Perdue said in a statement released late Tuesday. "By making individual conservation efforts, along with reasonable solutions from our federal government, we can collectively help to ensure that our water supply is sufficient."

The state imposed similar restrictions during the 1986 drought, the governor's office said.

The water systems will have to squeeze their customers to comply with the new reductions.

Rob Hunter, commissioner of Atlanta's Department of Watershed Management, said he does not foresee a problem achieving the 10 percent reduction, but it will take a stepped-up public information campaign to teach home and business owners how to use less water.

"Our customers are going to need to realize that if we don't conserve water, we will be paying fines, which ultimately come out of the fees they pay," Hunter said. "We're probably pretty close to that number right now. ... We found the public very interested in conserving water right now."

Glenn Page, general manager for the Cobb County-Marietta Water Authority, said, "Cobb is already a community that has had a lot of success with conservation, and coming down an additional 10 percent will be difficult for our service area without impacting businesses tremendously."

The order applies to the top third of the state already under an outdoor watering ban. An 18-month drought has hammered water supplies, draining lakes and reducing streams to the lowest levels ever recorded.

State officials are predicting the unprecedented drought could leave Lake Lanier at a historic low, jeopardizing metro Atlanta's main drinking water supply as early as January.

With his decision, the governor opted against singling out specific businesses to reduce water usage, such as car washes, instead leaving local water suppliers to determine how to achieve the reduction.

Georgia Environmental Protection Division Director Carol Couch, who advised the governor on his decision, said utilities may go directly to big water users to reduce consumption, but the decision is theirs.

"This gives them the flexibility to adapt and make the choices of how to carry out a 10 percent reduction," Couch said.

Barbara Jodoin, the general manager for Pinetree Country Club in Kennesaw, said she isn't sure how the governor's call for more water limits will affect the club's 18-hole course.

"We're very concerned," Jodoin said. "There's quite a broad brush there for [public water providers] to make independent decisions."

In about a month, the state will evaluate how well the reductions are working and whether additional measures are needed, Couch said.

On Saturday, Perdue signed an executive order declaring a state of emergency in 85 counties because of the drought. The governor also sent a letter requesting President Bush temporarily exempt the state from the Endangered Species Act to reduce the release of water from Georgia reservoirs.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers releases billions of gallons of water daily from Lanier downstream to Florida, in part to protect endangered and threatened mussels. Last week, Perdue asked a federal judge to restrict Lanier water flows. A hearing will be Nov. 19 in U.S. District Court in Jacksonville.

But Perdue acknowledged Georgians must use less water, too.

"In this unprecedented drought, we all have to pitch in and find ways to conserve our most precious resource," Perdue said.

"A 10 percent reduction in water use is a first step, and we will continue to evaluate our drought response and encourage additional conservation as needed."

— Staff writers James Salzer, Jeremy Redmon and Matt Kempner contributed to this article.

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Comments

By Russ

Oct 25, 2007 1:07 PM | Link to this

If the Government won't act fast enough, the people will. I, being one of the people, have done just that; I've started a new organization called Drought Busters. We provide indoor water conservation products to businesses and consumers, at below retail prices. Our mandate is to help save the water. Our products make saving water easy. Please check out our website so you can become even better at saving water.

By CisternGuyinAtlanta

Oct 25, 2007 10:02 AM | Link to this

There has never been a plan for water conservation in the Atlanta metro area. Our stupid, good ol' boy governor wants us to cut our water usage by 10%, and his "plan" is to sue the army corps to stop releasing water from Lake Lanier. Hey Sonny, we've been in an on/off drought for the past fifteen years, and you have done NOTHING to help us conserve our limited water resources. In those fifteen years, the area population has almost doubled.

There are many simple ways to conserve water. And don't say that there isn't enough money. If we paid water rates like the rest of the urbanized world, the water utilities would be swimming in money.

Or forget the government. I installed a five hundred gallon cistern for collecting rainwater. It only takes one good afternoon rain to fill. I bought a cheap transfer pump at Home Depot to run my sprinklers. I'm working on a second cistern to flush my toilets. Simple, cheap, and it works.

Chris Parrish
Morningside

By K-Fedup

Oct 24, 2007 6:43 PM | Link to this

Just watched the news with the Goober on from City of Atlanta Watershed Dept. commenting on the water leaks they have-some 2 years old! Incredible! Shirley Franklin, get your nose out of that stupid flower on your lapel and do your job! By the way, your flowers always look fresh-are you following the water ban?

By Nonia

Oct 24, 2007 4:47 PM | Link to this

I've have been conserving since the end of June. I have been washing the car in the rain (the few occasions is has rained) in the backyard (my neighbors thought I was crazy, but they are now doing the same thing!). I haven't water the grass nor the shrubs since 2001 and the bermuda lawn and shrubs are super green year after year (If God keeps the grass and trees along the streets and highways green, I felt he could and has kept my yard green and growing!). I just have the yard sprayed every spring to kill the weeds until the grass comes out of it's winter hibernation. I've captured the water it takes to get the shower water warm and using this to wash my hands with, also using it in the front load washer and to flush the toilets. The gray water from the washer is also re-captured and is used to flush the toilets with as well. I take Navy Showers (Water on to get wet-water off-lather up-water on to rinse off-water off) while standing in a large pail to capture the gray water. I've been eating off of paper plates and disposable cups to eliminate the need to use the dishwasher. There are 30 gallon rain retention containers in the back of the house connected to all four gutter downspouts and with the rain from the past 2 days, each one is half full already! My last month water bill was only 7 dollars and the month before that it was 4 bucks most of that was the tax and service fee from Cobb County water department!

By kill_all_mussels

Oct 24, 2007 4:06 PM | Link to this

Why should we conserve water when the Army Corps of Engineers is sending billions of gallons of water each day to save some Florida mussels. Perdue needs to grow some balls and stop sending water to Florida.

By Aubrey

Oct 24, 2007 3:19 PM | Link to this

Yes, I understand that we are adding thousands of jobs each year. According to the AJC, the current supply of new homes (standing vacant) will last until 2009 even if nothing else is built. Obviously there wasn't THAT much demand...Plus according to the metrobrokers.com sign on 75S we have over 109k existing homes on the market

By strangerinastrangeland

Oct 24, 2007 2:58 PM | Link to this

I live in Doraville and the City government's answer to everything is to print it in 15 languages. Maybe we should try that.

By Robert DeSiena

Oct 24, 2007 2:56 PM | Link to this

The water issue did not just arrive this year, but there has been a general dryness for the past several years. Yet our local governments so greedy for those property taxes have kept on issuing more and more multi-unit residential building permits. If there has not been enough water for the current population, why do you build more condos to accomadate even more people there will not be enough water for - Eh Shirley!?

By dusty

Oct 24, 2007 2:48 PM | Link to this

You know, you can almost tell who is going to vote for Hitlery just by reading these comments. Now there is an inconvenient truth!

By Igor

Oct 24, 2007 2:45 PM | Link to this

Gert, you're an idiot. Are you suggesting closing down water bottling companies in GA?? They dont waste water... you either drink it out of the tap or the bottle... its used the same way.

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