More than 1,400 Georgians from more than 200 communities across Georgia have signed an online petition calling on Gov. Sonny Perdue and their state legislators to implement tighter regulations on interbasin transfers—the process of moving water from one community to another to meet water demands.
Visit www.nowatergrabs.com to view the petition.
Last year, a special Water Contingency Task Force formed by Gov. Perdue proposed massive, long-distance water transfers as a way to meet Metro Atlanta water demands should no agreement be reached on how to share water from Lake Lanier by a court-mandated July 2012 deadline.
Specific proposals analyzed the feasibility of moving millions of gallons a day from Lake Burton and Lake Hartwell in the Savannah River Basin as well as from the Tennessee River, West Point Lake and South Georgia wells.
While none of the proposals were included in the Task Force’s final recommendations, Gov. Perdue last month reiterated his willingness to support water transfers, telling reporters that he would do whatever it takes to get water supply for Metro Atlanta, including interbasin transfers.
Such comments have raised concern among leaders in communities that would be impacted by these water transfers. Last fall, the Savannah-Upper Ogeechee Regional Water Council adopted a resolution calling on state leaders to prohibit interbasin transfers.
“Interbasin transfers fundamentally and irreversibly alter the natural flows in our rivers and streams and can harm the long-term prosperity and quality of life of the basin of origin,” said Ron Cross, a Columbia County Commissioner and chair of the Savannah-Upper Ogeechee Regional Water Council.
Water planners in Northwest Georgia and Southwest Georgia have also expressed opposition to interbasin transfers.
“The state of Georgia should be encouraging growth and economic development in areas that have water resources to sustain such growth,” said Richard Royal, a former state representative from Camilla and chair of the Lower Flint Regional Water Council.
“The state should share the development opportunities with these regions and not entertain proposals to transfer water from one region to another especially when other regions have not exercised good water stewardship.”
Currently serving legislators across the state are also taking note. Bills are expected to be introduced in both the House and Senate in the coming weeks, according to the Georgia Water Coalition, a consortium of 174 environmental and civic groups, which started the online petition.
The Coalition is urging citizens to sign the petition at www.nowatergrabs.com and urging legislators to adopt measures that require Georgia’s Environmental Protection Division (EPD) to consider an array of factors prior to issuing or expanding permits that involve water transfers.
These factors include water conservation efforts in the community seeking the transfer as well as impacts to communities downstream from the transfer.
Critics have ridiculed the existing interbasin transfer permit process because EPD can allow a transfer after only providing a press release to a newspaper in the area impacted by the transfer at least seven days before issuing the permit.
Current state law does prohibit water transfers from outside the North Georgia Metropolitan Water Planning District into the District, preventing long-distance transfers into the Metro Atlanta area.
Joe Cook of Rome, executive director of the Coosa River Basin Initiative, serves as the Coosa River Keeper. Readers may contact him at jcook@coosa.org
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