Water shortage still a worry for Georgians

More than a year after Lake Lanier set an all-time record low and smaller reservoirs were nearly tapped out, a poll released Monday found that 87 percent of Georgians are still concerned about water shortages.

The telephone survey of 600 Georgians was conducted last September for the Sapelo Foundation, a Brunswick-based organization that funds environmental protection and social justice programs, and the Georgia Water Coalition, representing environmental and civic groups.

The survey, which has a margin of error of 4 percentage points, also found that 75 percent of Georgians are also concerned about water quality, and 80 percent support simplifying outdoor watering restrictions.

Environmental groups are likely to use the poll results in lobbying for water-related bills during the current General Assembly session, including water conservation measures and restrictions on transferring water from one river basin to another.