Funds dry up for state reservoirs
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Thursday, August 21, 2008
While North Georgia is still in a historic drought, state money for new water supply reservoirs has dried up.
Gov. Sonny Perdue and legislative leaders on Thursday suspended $40 million promised to build new reservoirs. Drought-proofing the state had been one of the governor’s top priorities for 2008.
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Low-interest loans will still be available to local governments to build or expand reservoirs.
Perdue spokesman Bert Brantley said finding new water sources for the state’s growing population is still a priority.
“The issue here is there are a lot of priorities and we’re trying to meet the needs where we can,” Brantley said. “We’re in a situation right now that every dollar that is spent in one place means a dollar less to spend in another place.”
Perdue and other top elected leaders are looking to cut $1.6 billion from the state budget. Earlier this year, before the worst economic news hit, the budget was approved at more than $21 billion.
Shane Hix, a spokesman for the Georgia Environmental Facilities Authority, which is administering the new reservoir-building program, said 13 local governments had already applied for grants. They will not be getting any cash from the state, but they can still apply for low-interest loans, Hix said.
The state has $80 million available to disperse as loans for water projects, including $30 million in new funding that was added this year.
Todd Edwards, a lobbyist for the Association County Commissioners of Georgia, said this is the third time in two decades that the state has faced a bad drought, planned to build additional reservoirs, and then pulled back. In the past, rain dampened the enthusiasm; this time it is budget cuts.
“The longer we postpone the reservoirs, the more expensive they’re going to get,” Edwards said. “Let’s not sweep it under the table.”



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