Metro Atlanta: A Good Steward of its Water Resources
July 2013
Even though Atlanta got its start as a railroad hub, water has never been too far from the thoughts of metro Atlanta leaders. In the 1940s, Mayor William B. Hartsfield lobbied Congress for the construction of Lake Lanier 40 miles north of the city to ensure a stable water supply as the city and region grew. And Lanier, along with the Chattahoochee River, now provides almost three-fourths of the region's water supply.
Protecting the Chattahoochee
Safeguarding those supplies has been a regional priority for decades. In the early 1970s, with growth already having an impact on water quality, regional concerns turned to protecting the Chattahoochee River downstream of Buford Dam. One of the Atlanta Regional Commission’s first projects was to develop a plan to protect the Chattahoochee. That plan became the cornerstone of the Metropolitan River Protection Act (Metro River), passed by the Georgia General Assembly in 1973. This far-sighted legislation, later amended, established a 2,000-foot corridor on either side of the river from the dam to the southern boundary of the region, some 84 miles.
Metro River, which turns 40 this year, has succeeded in its original goals -- to protect water quality and supply, control erosion, reduce flooding and locate development where impacts are minimal. Any proposal to build within the river corridor must be consistent with the plan and go through an ARC review. And, the creation of the Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area in the late 1970s has given the region a magnificent amenity that serves hikers, joggers, anglers and more.
Every Drop Counts!
 Located in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains, the Atlanta region has almost no groundwater. Dependent on small headwaters rivers and streams for water supply, the region is continually challenged to use its precious water resources wisely -- and to share it equitably with downstream neighbors in Georgia, Florida and Alabama. Following a relatively wet winter and spring, Georgia's reservoirs are full, but –- as a state -– we are never far from potential drought. So Metro Atlanta water leaders are focused as keenly as ever on conservation.
In fact, the Metropolitan North Georgia Water Planning District and the Atlanta Regional Commission have launched a multi-media water conservation campaign called “My Drop Counts” this month. The campaign is aimed at raising awareness of water use while promoting behavior change. “My Drop Counts” is built around the theme “How Much Water Do You Use?” with TV spots on local access channels, radio spots, digital ads and billboards. Residents can calculate their household water use on the My Drop Counts website and pledge to use less. In addition, the site includes information about water use in the region, where drinking water comes from and how much the region uses every day.
This campaign builds on Metro Atlanta’s existing water conservation measures, which are some of the most aggressive in the country. Mandated by the Water Supply and Water Conservation Plan, these measures include toilet rebate programs, water system leak detection and repair and tiered pricing, among others. Impressively, per capita water use in the region has already dropped by more than 20 percent since 2001.
Tri-State “Water Wars”
Conservation will continue to be a priority for the region. In addition to experiencing periods of drought in the future, Georgia, Florida and Alabama are still wrestling with how to equitably allocate shared water resources. The three states have been contesting issues surrounding the operation of Buford Dam and the other Army Corps of Engineers projects on the Chattahoochee River for more than 30 years.
Last year, the U.S. Supreme Court let stand the 2011 finding by the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals that water supply for metro Atlanta is an authorized purpose for Lake Lanier. This decision by the 11th Circuit directed the Corps to use its scientific expertise to assess available water supplies.
The Corps has begun its assessment. The issues of greatest concern among all stakeholders in the basin are sound water resources management, socioeconomic impacts of system operations and protecting the environment. A draft water control plan and a draft EIS is due in a year or so that will update the plan that has been in effect for more than 50 years. The final plan will be released a year or so later.
In the meantime, Metro Atlanta must continue to be a wise steward of the Chattahoochee River and the other rivers and streams on which nearly five million people depend. Conservation efforts will continue in order to help ensure that there is as much water in the system as possible for residents and businesses in the region and for communities downstream.
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