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DEL.ICIO.US“What a bunch of poop”
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The birds poop all over their front porch.
A few days ago, Jo Mackey contacted the county Department of Water Resources. She asked if she could hose down the porch. The female employee said ‘no,’ citing the mandated outdoor water ban that’s been in place since Sept. 28. It was suggested the Buford retirees salvage their shower water and use it.
Jo and Ken Mackey are strict adherents of the water ban. In fact, they were probably water-wise before many of us in parched North Georgia started conserving.
“I’ve been taking a ‘Navy shower’ for years,” Jo Mackey, 73, told me. “Before I married, my water bill was always $13 to $15 a month. Our water bill for both of us is only $25 a month.”
On Monday, Mackey called and asked if I had any pull with the governor’s office. Maybe I could call, she said, and get her an exemption to the water ban so she could clean her porch.
Of course, she was being facetious. Her tongue-in-cheek suggestion led to a discussion that I’d imagine thinking people have been asking themselves since the water crisis has come home to roost.
How did we get here?
Growing up in Georgia, all I heard was how great Atlanta is and would be in the future. The term “international city” preceded reality. Development boomed. Newcomers, foreign and domestic, flocked here, particularly after the 1996 Summer Olympics. They sought jobs, opportunity, affordable houses, and in Gwinnett’s case, good public schools.
Now look at what the 18-month drought has uncovered.
Apparently state and municipal officials have given scant thought to the resources and amount of water necessary for millions to flush toilets, cook, drink and - yes - wash poop off front porches. The issue is about more than bird droppings, though. It’s about water infrastructure, the lack of long-term preparation and planning of it.
Heck, even columnists have to prepare for the expected and the unforeseen. Case in point: The Badie Tour was to accompany Capt. Herb Emory, the WSB traffic reporter, on the sky copter Wednesday morning. Inclement weather grounded us.
We can’t control the rain, but we - the region - could have taken other measures during decades of growth to ward off the current situation.
“They’ll come up with something to address the issue,” said Ken Mackey, 78, a retired Delta auto mechanic. “But it’s about 25 years to late.”
When Mackey was a young man, he remembers a federal study that was done during the era of Richard Russell Jr., the late state senator and governor. It said that five states, including Georgia, would be the most populated states in the southeast due to the availability of water.
“It has come to pass, just not as big as [Russell] thought,” he said. “But nobody picked up on it.”
By no means are the Mackeys making light of the water issue. They are put off, though, with the lack of recommended water-saving initiatives that could have been enacted decades ago, but weren’t.
What a bunch of poop.
Rick Badie’s column appears on Sundays, Tuesdays and Thursdays. Contact him at 770-263-3875 or e-mail rbadie@
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Comments
By Bruce Wicox
October 24, 2007 10:33 PM | Link to this
Today in a interview Gov. Sonny said the rapid growth over the past couple of decades has nothing to do with our water woes. If the Gov doesn’t think a few extra 100,000 flushs added each year is part of the problem, why are we under restrictions?
In your column on turning in neighbors for wter violations I wrote the following… October 17, 2007
Several jurisdictions around the country have crafted policies that specifically require a link between water availability and development. Not the other way around like we have in Gwinnett and Georgia.
Just back from a vacation in Arizona and knowing they have been in serious drought situation far longer than we have I looked into how they handled the problem. As stated above the biggest weapon is the water availability and development law. It is up to the developer to prove the water availability will be there.
Interesting, I sent a copy of the article with the link to a contact in the Arizona state government to one of our commissioners and one state senator, that was almost two weeks ago, so far nothing?
Still haven’t heard anything from the Senator or Commissioner, it is getting harder and harder to take it seriously when our leaders are doing the “Do as I say, not as I do” game with us.
By Michael H. Smith
October 25, 2007 12:46 AM | Link to this
A salute to Mr. Mackey he’s absolutely correct, in that 25 years too late assessment. Yep, they’ll come up with something alright but don’t look for the State to do the right sum- of -things nor the Federal government. A concurrency law would be nice but truth be told, at best, it would be only a very small piece of what is truly needed.
Fortunately I’ve some reason for optimism, it’s just too soon to really cut-lose and let-it-rip! My conversations with a certain someone in government have been quite productive I’m very pleased to say.
Unfortunately it would be a waste, a “complete waste”, of my good time to contact my State Senator and Representative they missed the boat a long time ago in assessing the water situation and what is needed, which fell off their charts as something of immediate concern.
So here we have it: Population growth exceeded expectations, a drought has occurred that no one expected, a month and a half worth of water was accidentally released by the Corp no one expected and as usual we have to save the fish/mussels/whatever to sacrifice the humans (so says the tree-hugging bed-wetters’). Now surely I should be a more reasonable fellow, right?
Wrong!
Well, it’s going to be a hoot and a holler in ’08. Yeah it is a bunch of poop and the poop is going to get a lot deeper.
By Katie
October 25, 2007 5:57 AM | Link to this
Bruce is right. How can the public take a drought seriously when our elected officials don’t. I’m embarrassed to be a Georgian right now. I see such selfish behavior in regards to water use. Until the state government takes the water issues seriously and really crack down on those wasting it then there will be no changes in public use.
By Katie
October 25, 2007 5:58 AM | Link to this
Bruce is right. How can the public take a drought seriously when our elected officials don’t. I’m embarrassed to be a Georgian right now. I see such selfish behavior in regards to water use. Until the state government takes the water issues seriously and really crack down on those wasting it then there will be no changes in public use.
By WTF
October 25, 2007 7:16 AM | Link to this
What a bunch of idiots!!!!!!!!!!! Until I see the “powers that be” doing something more than just running their mouths, I will runt he water while I brush my teeth, wash my food really, really well, and take as long a shower as I damn well please!!!!!!!!!!!!!
By Paul
October 25, 2007 8:10 AM | Link to this
As life long resident of Gwinnett, I also find the state and county’s response to the water situation surprising. They all knew we were headed for a severe drought in May/June, but they allowed homes and businesses to water lawns ALL summer. The total ban should have occurred in June not until the lake is 15 feet down. This is a perfect example of gov’t. incompetence.
By GeezGuys
October 25, 2007 8:27 AM | Link to this
Michael, maybe you’d be a more reasonable fellow if you’d realize Sonny Purdue is pandering to gullible folk. Alabama has people, businesses, and power plants downstream. Their governor wants water for those needs, not for the endangered mussels.
Since when is anyone in Alabama an environmentalist, let alone the elected officials?
The rising level of poop is directly connected to what’s coming out of Purdue’s mouth when he says mussels are being placed before Georgia’s children, like Georgia children are dying of thirst in the streets. It’s meant to make him look good politically for his lack of planning. He blames the mussels and brainless Georgians start hollering at imaginary tree hugging bedwetter hippies downstream. Total alarmist poop.
You swallowed his big steaming mess, the kool-ade will wash it down pretty good.
By Stan
October 25, 2007 8:56 AM | Link to this
What is a “Navy shower”?
By Katie
October 25, 2007 9:02 AM | Link to this
A navy shower is like a w*******’s bath.
By WHAT?
October 25, 2007 9:17 AM | Link to this
Katie, What is a w*’s bath, and how do they take it?
By Crystal
October 25, 2007 10:04 AM | Link to this
WTF- you’re an A$$.
By Michael H. Smith
October 25, 2007 10:17 AM | Link to this
Well, Geez, making your attack list must mean something important to someone but not me. I don’t buy any of the poop that’s being pushed, nothing from the bedwtters or the politicians or “the nut-jobs” who think if they stop building and development that will solve the problem.
Houses don’t use water. People do. So lowering the immigration flow rate is the correct item to target on that aspect. Immigration is the sole source of populate increases in this country, in case no one knew that fact. So anyone who swallows it’s the developer/building mess is the real dummy and it looks like you’re buying into it Gees.
The people in Alabama are suffering more drought than in Georgia. But this mussels business is from the Corp and the enviro-nuts. Florida is somewhat different. It’s probably more about busine$$ than anything else.
“The rising level of poop is directly connected to what’s coming out of Purdue’s mouth”
On that statement we partly agree, but Sonny is far from being alone.
Katie did contribute one sensible statement concerning what is called a navy shower. I’ve had a navy shower-head installed and in use for quite some time now. It definitely cuts down on water consumption.
A good bit more is going to come to fore shortly, Geez. I’m content to wait on that certain someone I’ve had a series of discussions with, who has the right answers that should have been employed years ago, that if they it had been done, this drought would not be the major problem it has evolved into being.
Meanwhile, you can keep the kool-aid for yourself to wash down that greedy developer crap. I never touch the stuff.
For the sensible among the fold I’ll leave this: It’s not so much the amount the developers are building as it is where, what and how they are building. For the near term only more conservation and a great deal of rain will do any good.
PS. Get those wells going Mayor Millsaps, the cost of the water we buy from the county is going up.
By Michael H. Smith
October 25, 2007 10:51 AM | Link to this
One other thing to help the “caring people” that really give a shid that want to be part of the answer and not more of the problem like those who are connected to County or City water that chose to drill a well so they will have more water to make their lawns green.
A cheap but effective way to cut down the water flow from your sink faucet is to turn your cut-off valves, usually located below your sinks, to about the half-way point, instead of having it in the full-open position, as most of us have them. It’s about the same results as having a low-flow faucet installed.
By Katie
October 25, 2007 11:13 AM | Link to this
What. I think that sort of bath entails washing the private places and that’s about it. At least that’s what I was told it was. No offence to the navy guy—we appreciate his service.
By Bruce Wicox
October 25, 2007 11:20 AM | Link to this
Mr. Smith if it took you all this time to speak to the Aquaman of our state government and solve the problem for us all, didn’t you also miss the boat a long time ago?
And Mr. Smith a Navy Shower is more about time spent in the shower than the shower head. Turn on water quickly get wet, turn off water soap up, turn on water quickly rinse off, boom in and out in a few minutes using a lot less water. A water saving is a help.
Thanks for the watering saving tips they’re much more productive than the insults.
By Bruce Wicox
October 25, 2007 11:25 AM | Link to this
Katie what you describe is a wh*’s bath I believe.
By Michael H. Smith
October 25, 2007 11:26 AM | Link to this
Bruice, you’re a nut I choose to ignore.
By Bruce Wicox
October 25, 2007 11:38 AM | Link to this
Ah Mr. Smith still with the insults, wouldn’t be nice to enlighten us all on who this water czar is, the one above all elected officals? If we knew maybe we could understand how serious the drought really is, but if you are ordered to secrecy we understand.
I guess a navy shower is whatever you dictate it to be Mr. Smith.
By Crystal
October 25, 2007 11:44 AM | Link to this
I use my kid’s bath water to flush the toilets. I also put my coolers outside when it started to rain and use that to supplement my water when washing my clothes. I too turn the water off while soaping up and use a bucket to capture water that flows while waiting for it to warm up. I used to use that water to water my flowers and trees, now I use it to supplement my washing machine.
I guess with the jackass WTF from above I offset him running his water willy nilly. He needs to take a drive out to Lake Lanier, it’s pretty scary!!
By Michael H. Smith
October 25, 2007 12:06 PM | Link to this
To the reading audience, I consider that most of you have the intelligence to know what a navy shower is and how to use the device installed. The truth of the matter is, should anyone be so bold, a sponge bath conserves even more water, or heaven forbid, as the soldiers in Iraq do, using the waterless disposable towels.
Anyhow, we haven’t reached such extremes, yet. Albeit, Mr. Smith wrote extensively on one aspect of water conservation and aquifer replenishing a few years ago, that no doubt made it to his State Senator’s and his State Representative’s eyes and many others needless to say, though, with little positive results.
The fact remains our State government really isn’t serious about addressing an issue that has been around, as the blog/article points out, since Senator Dick Russell.
What is good about this thing, is now that the State has, so to speak been caught in this conundrum of events presently with its’ pants down, maybe, the priorities will shift the water issue to the forefront and make the powers that be do the right sum - of - things.
Yep, it is going to be costly and painful; but if we are to live in an oasis, we’ll have to start thinking and treating our water resources as though we are living in the desert.
By Michael H. Smith
October 25, 2007 12:27 PM | Link to this
You’re are on the right course Crystal and it’s better than drilling a well. Recycling grey-water is one aspect of what is need in the overall solution. Thanks for your one person efforts. You may think all you have done is to keep your plants and greenery nourished but you have in fact in your own small way add to replenishing the aquifer. I’m still working on my grey-water recycling system, mostly because more clarity needs to be presented by the State on grey-water re-use. But I caution readers do not use the water from your dishwashers or from washing your dishes. That is consider to be black-water. More information is on the Web concerning what is grey-water and how to use it properly.
http://interests.caes.uga.edu/drought/articles/gwlands.htm
By Michael H. Smith
October 25, 2007 12:33 PM | Link to this
Thank you Crystal.
Taken from Georgia Drought Org
Separating slightly used (gray) water from sewage (black water) makes good conservation sense. Drinkable water becomes more valuable every year. Some communities restrict water use periodically, curtailing outdoor watering first when shortages occur. This can be disastrous for businesses that depend on irrigation to establish or maintain landscapes.
One water-conserving alternative that merits a closer look is gray water. Daily, homeowners misuse or waste an average of 33 percent of our valuable drinking water. Most of this water misuse is for diluting toilet, sink and laundry wastes and from slightly used sink, shower and laundry water. Every day we use many gallons of drinkable water for purposes like landscape irrigation, which could employ gray water.
WHAT IS GRAY WATER?
Gray water is water that can be used twice. Gray water includes the discharge from kitchen sinks and dishwashers (NOT garbage disposals); bathtubs, showers and lavatories (NOT toilets); and the household laundry (NOT diaper water). Using gray water can almost double home water-use efficiency and provide a water source for landscape irrigation.
Unfortunately, many health regulations consider any non-drinkable water as black water or sewage. Many plumbing and health codes do not accept gray water for reuse because of assumed health risks. For the legal status of gray water in your community, county and state, consult your local building codes, health officials, sanitation engineers and pollution control officials.
With proper foresight, lobbying and marketing to allow gray-water use in landscapes, plant losses can be minimized in times of water shortages.
WHY USE GRAY WATER?
Gray water separation and use could save 25 to 40 percent of drinkable water for consumption. Community-wide gray water use could allow a reduction in the size of water-purification and sewage-treatment facilities.
Across the nation, landscape watering and toilet flushing are the major home uses of drinkable water. The most effective uses of gray water are for flushing toilets and watering landscapes. Imagine the water conservation benefits nationwide from using gray water for just these two purposes!
GRAY WATER CONTENT
Gray-water composition depends on the water source, plumbing system, living habits and personal hygiene of the users. The characteristics of gray water will be influenced by:
Cleaning products used, Dishwashing patterns, Laundering practices, Bathing habits, and Disposing of household chemicals.
The physical, chemical and biological characteristics of gray water and when it is used varies greatly among families and businesses.
See the accompanying table for an average make-up of gray water. Notice that, at normal concentrations, few materials in gray water will damage trees and shrubs if they are applied to the soil. Also, few detrimental soil changes will occur from properly managed gray-water applications.
Gray water has several unique characteristics:
It contains high levels of grease. Use a grease trap, and do not pour grease, oils or fats down the drain.
It is warmer—by 10 to 15 degrees— than normal wastewaters.
It contains a large amount of fibers and particles. Filters must remove these materials before gray water enters an irrigation system.
SUBSTANCES TO AVOID
You should not allow some materials and water inputs to enter the gray-water collection system:
Cleaners, thinners, solvents and drain openers should bypass the collection system. Avoid using cleaning and laundry materials that contain boron.
Do not use artificially softened water. Softeners replace calcium and magnesium with sodium. Long-term irrigation with high-sodium water can cause soil problems.
Do not recycle drainage water from swimming pools. It contains large salt concentrations and stabilized chlorine and/or bromine that will cause problems for landscape plants.
HEALTH CONCERNS
Properly treated and continuously monitored gray water can be a valuable and safe resource for landscape irrigation. However, ignoring problems and not checking the system periodically can lead to human health and maintenance difficulties. Misused gray water can spread typhoid fever, dysentery, hepatitis and other bacterial and viral problems.
Disinfection is critical for gray water held more than 3 hours. Health hazards—especially with eye contact— are present in dissolved and suspended organic material and detergents.
To make it easy to identify and to prevent usage mistakes, add a vegetable dye to gray water. In a new installation or in a plumbing retrofit, use colored pipe to identify the lines carrying gray water.
COLLECTING AND HOLDING
There are two principal ways of collecting and holding gray water commercially:
The gray-water tank should be durable and non-corrodible. (Never use containers for holding tanks that once held corrosive chemicals, organic solvents or pesticides. Even minute traces of these chemicals might kill landscape plants). Holding tanks of this type will require an attached disinfection unit.
Tank size depends on available space and the amount of gray water produced. If gray-water supplies are inadequate, potable water may be required to supplement the system. Be sure to install one-way valves to prevent contaminating drinkable water with gray water.
Beware of potential backflow or siphoning problems. Install an overflow line with a one-way valve to allow excess gray water to flow into the sewer.
Tank placement is important for gravity feed, maintenance and aesthetic reasons. Because of warm temperatures and high humidity levels around the tank, a sealable cover and good air circulation are critical. Elevated humidities in a wood-frame house, for example, can lead to many structural and aesthetic problems.
Also consider safety factors. Design systems to prevent child and pet injury and/or entrapment.
In-ground gray-water septic tanks can provide low-maintenance gray water for use in the landscape. Like a black-water septic tank, a gray-water septic tank must meet all health codes. Seek installation advice from sanitation engineers, and do not pump untreated gray water from such septic tanks onto the landscape.
FILTERATION AND DISINFECTION
Disinfecting and filtering gray water removes solids, prevents odors, controls turbidity and foaming, and eliminates health hazards.
Before you can use gray water on the landscape, it must be filtered to remove particulate, fiber and floating materials. A grease trap is critical to prevent filter plugging.
Gray water held more than 3 hours must be disinfected because it contains more harmful bacteria than sewage does. A chlorine concentration of 0.5 ppm will disinfect gray water. As gray water is held overnight or longer, the chlorine slowly moves out of solution. The chlorine in laundry wastewater is too dilute to disinfect a gray-water holding tank.
Tablet or liquid solutions of chlorine, ultraviolet light or heat can disinfect gray water. Chlorine is most commonly used. To ensure proper disinfection, use a dosing pump to measure chlorine input for every unit of water volume.
APPLICATION METHODS
Correctly filtered and disinfected gray water can be applied through normal irrigation systems. Apply gray water at or slightly below the soil surface. Avoid sprinkling or making it into an aerosol. Surface broadcasting by soaker hose is acceptable, providing standing puddles and runoff do not occur. Leach fields from gray-water septic systems also can be used for distribution.
Gray-water surface runoff can cause serious erosion and disruption of surface-water chemistry. Avoid concentrated watering near wells and significant groundwater recharge areas because that can lead to groundwater pollution. It is important to carefully monitor application and infiltration races.
EFFECTS ON SOIL
Gray water has few long-term effects on soil. Gray water slightly modifies soil-organism populations and usually initiates no additional pest problems. Changes that do occur are due to the additional water present. Over-watering and extended periods of soil saturation with gray water can cause severe root problems for plants.
Household levels of bleaches and detergents do not cause problems when gray water is applied to medium and fine-textured native soils. However, when applied to coarse sandy soils with little organic matter, root damage can occur.
Organic matter and soil-texture adjustments are critical in raised beds with gray-water irrigation. Do not use gray water on plants with limited root areas or for hydroponics.
TREES AND SHRUBS
Gray water has few detrimental effects on trees and shrubs growing in native soils. Acid-loving plants, however, can have problems because detergents make water more alkaline. Gray-water use for landscape trees and shrubs is shown in the table “Average characteristics of gray water compared with total wastewater.”
Gray-water use conserves one of our most precious resources. If managed properly, gray water creates few detriments and many benefits.
CRITERIA FOR USING GRAY WATER FOR TREES AND SHRUBS
* Make trees and shrubs high-priority watering items because of their individual value. * Use gray water when natural precipitation and normal irrigation water are not available. * Apply gray water to soil. Never spray on foliage, twigs or stems. * Never soak bark or root-collar area. * Do not spray edible plant parts or soils where water splash can move gray water onto edible plant parts. * Do not use on root or leaf crops consumed by people or domestic livestock. * Do not use on new transplants. * Do not use on indoor trees or other plants with limited rooting space, in small containers, or plants normally under saturated conditions. * Always apply gray water at or slightly below the soil surface. Apply over or under mulch, if present. * Avoid using micro or regular sprinkler heads that can blow gray-water aerosols downwind. * Be careful of applications that apply gray water directly to leaf surfaces of ground covers and turfgrasses. * Control gray-water application and infiltration to prevent standing puddles and surface runoff. * Test soil periodically to reveal salt and boron toxicity problems.SAVING WATER, SAVING LANDSCAPES
With populations and land-use demands increasing and high quality water resources continuing to decrease, more water shortages and water use restrictions as well as higher prices will occur in the future. By using gray water the slightly used water from sinks, tubs and laundry—landscape irrigation can be maintained despite outdoor watering bans and higher water costs. However, gray-water use requires changing many health and plumbing codes to accept proper gray-water management in a landscape.
By Bruce Wicox
October 25, 2007 3:28 PM | Link to this
Mr. Smith would you inform us all where we can buy this special “Navy” shower head? You’re confused as usual and embarrassed as usual because you haven’t a clue of what you write, but bluster along.
By lovelyliz
October 25, 2007 5:17 PM | Link to this
All around lack of the political will to do something when it would have mattered.
By molly
October 25, 2007 5:18 PM | Link to this
In response to WTF and those who think like him/her:
Your stubborness and righteous idignation towards the “powers that be” are not justifiable reasons to deny others much needed water. Find other ways to express these feelings, and consider the well being of others.
By luxomni
October 25, 2007 6:14 PM | Link to this
Instead of fighting our neighbors, who have a right to the water too, the governor needs to put in place a regional authority than can better control growth.
But he won’t, because the developers donate a lot of money to political campaigns.
By monteal
October 25, 2007 8:46 PM | Link to this
why dose everybody always put these kind of things off …this should have been taken care of a long time ago … you aren’t going to control growth …you could kill it by not fixing this problem though and no one here would benefit form lack of growth. our economy is good because we are growing…stop fighting it and prepare for it ( this isn’t going to be a quick fix )
Ideas lets remember water that goes into the sewer gets treated and used again… so lets get the 1000’s of homes off septic systems and hook them into the sewer systems there millions of gallons right there
Idea drill wells some of the smaller communities have these wells cant we supplement our water supplies by drilling
Idea another dam
idea telling alabama thay need to put water restrictions in place like we have or they can do with out maybe they should build a dam of they’re own
By Bruce Wicox
October 25, 2007 10:49 PM | Link to this
“you aren’t going to control growth”, yes you can and must. You cannot drain all the natural resources out of an area in the name of progress. Right now this area cannot handle any more growth, water is not like adding a few trailers to a school.
Another dam is being built, it will take many, many years and that is if this drought doesn’t contnue.
Getting 1000’s of homes off septic systems and hook them into the sewer systems will cost millions and our legislature is talking about doing away with the state property tax. Where does the money come from?
We have to stop expanding until we can catch up with not only water supplies, but roads or mass transit. As someone pointed out, it has to be a regional authority to control growth, not county by county.
By Michael H. Smith
October 25, 2007 11:51 PM | Link to this
Anyone who wants to buy what I’ve referred to as a navy shower-head can purchase such an item at Home Depot. It is nothing more than a shower head with a slide valve cut-off.
Brucie, you are a left-wing-nut-job!
By Bruce Wicox
October 26, 2007 12:21 AM | Link to this
I dare anyone, even you Mikey, to walk into any store and ask to see their selection of navy shower heads. When the laughter dies down ask them for a navy shower cap too Mikey.
By Michael H. Smith
October 26, 2007 12:30 AM | Link to this
Oh I do have to laugh. Regional, shades of Roy E. Barnes speaks from the political bone-yard. You can’t begin to get the State legislature to even think about a “concurrency law” (who doesn’t know what they are talking about). Now this loony-tunes idea that States will surrender authority to other States?! Man, what some people are smoking these days.
Control growth, oh what a load of BS! Try, control population. Again, to this thick as brick wall, houses and buildings do not use water, people do. If you want to control population, then you best start with immigration. That is what is driving this country’s population increases and that fact cannot be repudiated.
Want to stop people from coming to Georgia and Gwinnett County then end prosperity, that’ll kill the goose that lays the golden eggs - FAT CHANCE ON THAT ONE!
The best we can hope for is more willingness by others to follow the many that have already made known their efforts in conservation and good re-use of grey-water. Thanks to every one of you. And hope and pray for rain. What is needed beyond that is a sensible statewide water policy that covers all areas.
But this drought to will pass, then our legislators will move on to something else and forget all about this drought and go back to sleep on the water issue, as though anyone woke them up previously.
By Michael H. Smith
October 26, 2007 1:01 AM | Link to this
Here’s the reasons everybody puts these things off monteal. It’s not cheap, it’s not politically glamorous and no one really cares about water, as you’ve guessed, till the lake or well runs dry.
Yes we will have to build more reservoirs and we should be replenishing the aquifers too, they are Mother Nature’s natural reservoirs that can be use by Counties and Cities in reserve for just such droughts when they occur from time to time. We are doing that now to some extent here in Gwinnett County, where water from the Hill reclamation center is sent to golf courses that spray the reclaimed water on those properties, which in turn feeds the aquifers/underground reservoirs. We will also have to eventually turn to the ocean for desalinization of water sometime in the future(hopefully when it is cheaper). A while back $250,000 was appropriated to be used to conduct a study on the feasibility of desalinization of water to supply Atlanta. Though, I haven’t heard much about it since.
You are correct about growth, though, in reality it is “growth in population” that places the demands on water. It’s not likely anyone is going to stop people from having babies any time soon, short of becoming like China but we can control immigration, which is the main contributor to the population increases in this country.
And you are darn right no body is willing to kill prosperity to become poor!
By Michael H. Smith
October 26, 2007 1:22 AM | Link to this
I’ll bet anyone could walk into a Home Depot and ask anyone(knowledgeable) who works in the plumbing department, about a shower head they could install to take what is referred to as a “Navy Shower” and the plumbing assistant would walk right over and get them one, if they were in stock and never blink an eye. In fact the one I bought had “Navy Shower” written right on the shrink warp packet.
Last laugh is on you, Brucie
By Katie
October 26, 2007 6:12 AM | Link to this
Bruce, I agree with you. We need to stop the expansion. We’ll be china before too long and look at china. If you’ve ever been there, it is a nasty place to go. The pollution is terrible, the water is terrible, you can’t see the sun through the yellow/green haze and it’s over populated. They don’t have enough resources. We are on that same path. If we were smart we’d start trying to avoid that path all together. I hate to say it but I think many Americans are selfish. It seems many just think about themselves and their needs and not about the future or other people. There’s this generation (or several) called ‘it’s all about me’.
By Brian, Decatur, GA
October 26, 2007 7:53 AM | Link to this
The governor’s rude and dismissive response to a Channel 2 reporters question about whether or not the unbridled growth of the Atlanta area had anything to do with our current water woes was outrageous. It was also an indication of how short sighted and irresponsible our state and local governments have been about the problem of water consumption over the last several years. The governor’s dogged adherence to the notion that the federal government and the Corps of Engineers are solely responsible for the current lack of water is foolish and disingenuous to say the least. Developers and government officials bear at least part of the responsibility for the situation in which we now find ourselves. The current water restrictions and the governor’s lawsuit are much too little and much too late. Despite all the rhetoric being tossed about, there does not seem to be any kind of comprehensive plan to address the present crisis and to deal with what will in all likelihood be a continuing concern for the residents of Atlanta and all of Georgia. While we as citizens should do all we can to conserve water, we have a right to expect our government, local, state and federal, to put together a viable plan to ensure that there is sufficient water for all. Engaging in grandstanding lawsuits and repeating over and over again that the Corps of Engineers is responsible for the crisis is useless, unproductive and does not make it so. This problem is not going away and we as tax paying citizens have a right to expect that our governor and his administration deal constructively with the present crisis and work much harder to plan for the future.
By Michael H. Smith
October 26, 2007 8:28 AM | Link to this
“It’s over populated.”
Now in that part, you make sense Katie. But, a concurrency law will not stop the population from expanding, will not produce more water or any better use of it, will not stop pollution and will not increase resources or any better use of them. The best a concurrency law (if it could stand a constitutional challenge) would do is to slow the construction process momentarily or shift it to another less densely populated area for a while. Supply side economics are dictating the development market. The only way to reduce the demand (of building) is to reduce the supply (of people).
What is producing the increase in population in this country?
I’ll save you trouble to have to look it up. It’s immigration. If we don’t reduce immigration flow rates we will be like China. To avoid that China syndrome, the expanding the population meltdown, you need to reduce the numbers of immigrants allowed into the country for a while. A concurrency law will not achieve that goal.
I do support concurrency law but for different reasons and with a different purpose in mind. Which is to distribute the population evenly over a broader less densely populated
area to alleviate congestion and overcrowding.
But I’m not under any “delusions” that even if you stopped all construction this very moment and for a decade going forward that it would solve the water woes of this State or the region for that matter.
By Katie
October 26, 2007 9:01 AM | Link to this
Michael, I was trying to be a bit more diplomatic. I think it’s very obvious that I was saying “STOP BREEDING.”
And, saying “it is,” is appropriate grammar—thanks.
By Michael H. Smith
October 26, 2007 9:23 AM | Link to this
No way will you “stop breeding”. You can slow the process and that “is” about all that can be done, “obviously”. Immigration remains the thrust behind increases in population and that can be controlled, where there is a will to do so.(It “is” not the developer and development as Brucie thinks)
By Brian, Decatur, GA
October 26, 2007 10:30 AM | Link to this
Katie: A Navy shower for those of you who do not know is when you get into the shower turn the water on just long enough to get wet and then turn the shower off. Once you are through soaping up (everywhere and not just your privates) you turn the water on and rinse off as quickly as possible. It is called a Navy shower because Navy ships make fresh water from sea water and there are times when fresh water needs to be conserved for one reason or another. A Navy shower will get you just as clean but use much less water.
By Bruce Wicox
October 26, 2007 11:41 AM | Link to this
Micky, you want us to believe that the increase in population from 100,000 in 1990 to the near 700,000 we have today is caused by illegal immigration, not over development, thanks for the chuckle.
By Justin
October 26, 2007 11:59 AM | Link to this
Bruce and Michael, you both need to grow up.
By Bruce Wicox
October 26, 2007 1:09 PM | Link to this
Justin you’re right, I just do not like being attacked for anything I may write. I might feel differently if he had a clue of what he states as fact.
It is not only me Justin, he has to correct everybody, like Lou Dobbs, he feels he is Oz.
I just do it because he is so easy to agitate. I shall try to control myself, but I have to admit it will be a hard thing to do.
By Michael H. Smith
October 26, 2007 1:59 PM | Link to this
Brucie, you can hold on to any mixed up beliefs you want and make any false statements you want. Mr. Attack Everybody, speak for yourself.
Immigration legal and illegal is responsible for the increase in population in this country. The influx of native born migration and foreign born immigrants (legal and illegal) took place due to favorable economic conditions. Not the developer who only developed to meet the demand from that supply.
Reducing legal immigration levels and out right deporting and deporting through attrition illegal aliens will reduce the rate of population increases, in this country and in this State. Concurrency law can never do that, anyone who believes it will, needs to laugh themselves all the way into the funny farm.
From the AJC:
Cagle said he will not consider legislation that would slow development in the area.
Some critics of the area’s rapid development have blamed such growth for the water shortages. The lieutenant governor said the “statistics and science do not back that up. We are not in the permitting process in terms of buildings, and we do not intend to be.”
@ Justin
Justin all I need to do is ignore this nut. Hey Brucie, tell you what don’t attack me and I’ll not attack you.
By Bruce Wicox
October 26, 2007 3:15 PM | Link to this
As it has been pointed out by many in this column, our politicans are bought and paid for by developers, of course they will not limit growth.
Illegal immigration is responsible for a very small percentage of the water usage, statistics and science back that up.
Man has always settled by water, back then when water ran low they packed up the village and followed the water, not added to it.
Atlanta’s reservoir system was designed in the 1950’s and it wasn’t designed to handle five million people. If this drought continues for just a few more years we’ll be packing up this village too.
It is just plain common sense, you can only build to the point that our natural resources can handle comfortably, not over tax them as we already have.
By Michael H. Smith
October 26, 2007 11:52 PM | Link to this
When common sense is applied to the present water dilemma in the State of Georgia with respects to development (which means land improvements via construction and building not increases in population due to migrations and immigrations spurred by favorable economic conditions) contrary to emotions, opinions and overstated falsely held beliefs, under-development has occurred, not over-development.
The development of needed infrastructure has lagged behind the structural part of development. Under normal rainfall conditions this lagging development of infrastructure was manageable and did not pose an immediate major problem, until this drought. With the aggravated circumstances of population increases that have out-paced projections and the high volume of water released from a reservoir that has been overly relied upon for far too long, many have good reason to demand that the needed infrastructure be developed rapidly to insure an adequate supply of water.
Expect to see more development occur: In the building of reservoirs, installations of rainwater capturing systems and possibly greater re-use of used water (grey-water or gray-water if preferred) for irrigation purposes, which may include groundwater recharging or aquifer replenishment.
Georgia - absent a drought - loses more water than it consumes.
By Bruce Wicox
October 27, 2007 1:02 AM | Link to this
“We have to stop expanding until we can catch up with not only water supplies, but roads or mass transit. As someone pointed out, it has to be a regional authority to control growth, not county by county.”
I wrote this on Thursday and right now they are planning on addressing it by submitting a Bill to require water saving toilets in new construction. Nothing about grey-water which would be far easier to install in new construction or rainwater capturing systems, until our own legislature realizes it has to be addressed in a far more serious manner, all new construction should be severely limited.
Another major hurtle is the cost, raise taxes or just charge it and let the kids pay for it later, guess it depends on which party you lean towards.