The current issue of "Atlanta INtown" features a few articles on Atlanta's drinking water.  The articles are worth glancing through, but don't really say anything new.  If you can't pick up a hard copy, you can find it online at www.AtlantaINtownPaper.com


On another note, a friend forwarded this article to me this week:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28003681/ns/technology_and_science-innovation/

Is anyone familiar with this technology?  I'd like to know more about it.  It seems a system like this could work well in a humid, water-strapped Georgia as a last resort, especially since desalination is not an option here like it is on coastal California.  The water produced is on the expensive side, not to mention buying the apparatus in the first place.  How can you monitor safety/water quality?  What would be the environmental impact of using these on a large scale?

Though the article is from a few years back, Watermills are supposed to be available to the public this year.  Yet for now, I'm sticking to tap water.

Peak Water

For those of you interested in learning a bit more about what "peak water" is, Peter Gleick of the Pacific Institute does an excellent job explaining the basics.  This concept is applicable in California, Georgia, and around the world.

The Drought is Over (for now)

                                                           Photo of CA Sierras by chucklepix

No, this is not an April Fools joke.  Things are looking good on the water front - Lake Lanier is full, and with this year's massive snowpack in the Sierras, California's Governor has officially declared the three-year drought in that state over.  Here's Governor Brown's proclamation:
http://gov.ca.gov/news.php?id=16959

But this does not mean we can get complacent.  Though our water supply levels are deemed sufficient for the short-term, another drought is a fact of life for both Georgia and California.  Now is the time to start putting conservation and efficiency measures in place, and to come up with a sustainable plan for Georgia's water future.

Water related legislation up for a vote tomorrow

Hello Georgia Water Watchers-

Tomorrow is an important day for state legislation that could potentially impact our local water future.  The above video is a discussion between Sally Bethea, Director of Upper Chattahoochee Riverkeeper, a local environmental group, and the Chairman of the Senate Natural Resources and Environment Committee.  They offer different views regarding a couple of the bills up for a vote.

The first, HR 424, wants to create a committee to study withdrawing more water from the Tennessee River Basin in order to serve metro Atlanta's growing water needs.  While Georgia already gets some water from the Tennessee River, around 2.7 million gallons a day, Georgia lawmakers would like to increase the amount Georgia transfers out of the river basin.  It would be interesting to hear what Tennessee and Alabama has to say about this idea.  Is Georgia out to "steal" water - like Los Angeles and the Owens River?  That's an extreme (and not really accurate) comparison, but Atlanta is better off using local resources to their fullest before looking towards expensive, potentially environmentally unfriendly, massive infrastructure projects.

The second bill, SB 122, will allow public/private partnerships in the creation of water infrastructure and reservoirs.  Do we want private business involved in the management of a public resource?  Historically, this hasn't always worked out for the best.  Private companies expect a return on their investment, so often charge more for water than a public utility would while offering poorer service.

Read SB 122 at: http://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/en-US/displaybill.aspx?BillType=SB&billNum=122

If you would like to make your voice heard about this legislation, use this webpage to find your local representative: http://www.congress.org/congressorg/state/main/?state=GA

Tri-State Water Negotiations Continue

Earlier this week, the Miami Herald reported on the ongoing Georgia/Alabama/Florida water negotiations.
http://www.stumbleupon.com/su/2lC2m0/www.miamiherald.com/2011/03/21/2126415/deal-encouraged-by-early-talks.html
According to the article, Georgia Governor Nathan Deal says he's going to start concentrating his energy on negotiations with Alabama.  But why don't we focus on making some changes here in Atlanta?

Georgia's "water supply task force" met for the first time Monday - a committee organized to help Deal examine the state's water supply options as population and water use expands, and access to Lake Lanier becomes more tenuous.  Though still new on the job, the task force seems to be most concerned with finding new supply - in other words, building more reservoirs.  Before we build new massive, above-ground water storage facilities we need to start looking at ways to use the water we have more efficiently.  Hopefully the task force will also take conservation measures seriously.  Los Angeles offers a great model on how to get started.

World Water Day

Happy World Water Day everyone!  I'm grateful that in Georgia and California, all I have to do is turn a tap to get potable water in my home.  Nearly one billion people around the world can't say the same.

World Water Day

Hello everyone-

World Water Day is coming up on March 22:  http://www.unwater.org/worldwaterday/.  Organized by the United Nations, the purpose of the day is to spread awareness about the importance of fresh water, and advocate for the "sustainable management of freshwater resources" on a global level.

The 2011 theme is "Water for Cities: Responding to the Urban Challenge," a particularly pertinent topic for Atlanta. For the first time in world history, the majority of the world's population now lives in cities, which presents particular challenges, including flood control, providing clean water for city residents, and removing wastewater.  Many cities are growing faster than their infrastructure - some cities, especially in the developing world, are unable to to build systems and access water resources quickly enough to provide for new growth.  Some cities are not investing enough money in the system to keep up with the rate of urbanization (a lesson Atlanta is learning).  And new issues will arise as cities continue to grow, water scarcity increases, and the effects of climate change become more pronounced.  Yet cities also offer us opportunity - the chance to take advantage of economies of scale to use water more efficiently.  As we look towards solutions, the first shift we can make is to look at water resources on a river basin or watershed level.

What are you doing to spread awareness?

Also, a side note - happy St. Patrick's Day.  I'm curious what the impact is of all that dye dumped into urban rivers.  (Photo taken by John J. Kim, Chicago Sun-Times.)