The Cobb-Marietta Water Authority filed a lawsuit this week against the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers over access to Allatoona Lake.
The dispute boils down to how much water the authority can draw from the lake based on a permit issued by the state, according to the complaint, which was provided to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution by the Atlanta Regional Commission.
The authority says it has invested hundreds of millions of dollars in projects to generate man-made inflows to Allatoona Lake and return treated wastewater to it.
“We’re the only entity that holds a contract in the reservoir that actually puts water in it ourselves,” said Glenn Page, the authority’s general manager. The lawsuit accuses the corps of denying the authority’s access to that additional water and instead allocating it to other users.
A spokesperson for the corps referred questions about the lawsuit to the Department of Justice, which did not respond to a request for comment by press time Thursday.
Page said water customers in Cobb need not fear a shortage in the immediate future.
He added, however, that if the authority continues to be denied access to the lake, it could end up building additional infrastructure estimated to cost more than $200 million and affecting local wetlands and property owners.
The Cobb-Marietta is the second largest provider of drinking water in the state, serving some 900,000 residents as well as businesses and military installations, the suit says.
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