Only a matter of time

Bobby L. Hickman

February 1, 2008

Is Georgia's highly publicized water shortage affecting future economic development? Not yet, experts say, but it's only a matter of time before concerns about future water supply becomes an issue for companies thinking of moving to the Atlanta area.

Sam Williams, president of the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce, says the water crisis "is the biggest and most imminent economic threat to our region." While short-term measures are needed to address the immediate drought, business and government leaders say long-range planning is needed to mitigate the effects of future droughts.

Water levels at Atlanta's main sources – Lakes Lanier and Allatoona – have continued to shrink as the current drought moves into a second year. Local officials continue implementing ever-stricter water conservation measures, but real relief will not come until normal rainfalls return to replenish area lakes.

But what is being done long-term to mitigate the effects of the next drought?

Williams says questions about the economic effects of the drought are increasingly raised by national and international media, "and certainly in economic development circles." The most frequent question is, "Is the drought really causing the metropolitan Atlanta area any long-term economic harm?" Williams' answer is, "Not yet."

Dennis Donovan, principle of Wadley Donovan-Gutshaw Consulting, a New Jersey-based corporate relocation firm, says the water situation currently is not a concern to companies considering moving to Georgia. The Southeastern drought is considered a temporary situation, and thus far, only a prospect with heavy water needs would be worried.

Growing water concerns

However, with the Georgia drought  getting international attention, water supply concerns are likely to grow. Williams notes one chamber official in London recently saw a front-page photograph in The Telegraph showing low levels at Lake Lanier. "Even in London, they're very aware of what we're doing," Williams continues. "And that's causing a lot of companies to ask questions about the long-term health of our economy. They want to know, ‘Can you provide enough water?' And that is the biggest threat we hear right now."

Williams says the area "needs to conserve water more aggressively; we need to build more reservoirs; we need to recycle highly treated wastewater; and we need to push Congress to reallocate water from the reservoirs that we currently have. While short-term measures are needed to address the immediate crisis, the drought emphasizes the need for a long-term comprehensive statewide water plan."

State Rep. Lynn Smith (R-Newnan), who chairs the House Natural Resources and Environment Committee, says the drought is "a wake-up call for us to deal with water issues now." She says her committee will act on the statewide water plan during the current legislative session.

Dr. Wayne Clough, president of Georgia Tech, notes Atlanta's population has doubled over the past 20 years, "but we're still living off the same water resources." Historically, Georgia has a drought every eight to 12 years, and they usually last four years. "According to history, we're still in the middle of this," he says.

Kit Dunlop of Hall County, who chairs the Metropolitan North Georgia Water Planning District (MNGWPD), agrees. "This is the lowest our two lakes have ever been, and it's going to get a lot worse before it gets better."

Sam Olens, vice chair of MNGWPD and chairman of the Atlanta Regional Commission, notes most water use is not in the business or industrial sector. In the Atlanta area, 55 pecent of the use is residential, while commercial usage accounts for 21 percent.

"For years, I've been saying among the most important issues facing metro Atlanta, No. 1 is water and No. 2 is transportation," Olens says. "No one believed me then, but now they're listening."

Resolving disputes

U.S. Sen. Johnny Isakson says the Atlanta region "benefits from having water and we'll pay a substantial price if we don't have it [in the future]. We're in a 100-year drought, and we have a finite supply of water. The only way to recharge our reservoirs is with rain. Until then, we need to be good stewards and manage what we have now. Also, we need to lay the groundwork for the future so this never happens to us again to this degree."

Isakson says federal and state officials are working to resolve the long-standing "water wars" among Alabama, Florida and Georgia, which includes urging the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to reduce its discharge of water from Lake Lanier. Beyond that, Isakson says, vast changes are needed to make Georgia homes and business more water-efficient. "We need changes in subdivision covenants, in building codes and irrigation systems," he adds.

Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin says the city is spending $1 billion on improvements related to Atlanta's drinking water. Franklin believes the long-term solution includes "a combination of infrastructure investment and very aggressive conservation. We need mandatory conservation statewide, and it should not exclude anyone. We need to take the long view on this, not less than 50 years."

Dr. Carol Couch, director of the Georgia Environmental Protection Division, says water supply issues are challenging, even in years with plenty of rain. "Water is the lifeblood of any state's economy," she says.

Beyond managing current supplies, the pressure on Georgia's limited water supplies is expected to grow in coming years. With a population already exceeding 5 million residents, the Atlanta area is forecast to add another 2.3 million new citizens by 2030.

Couch says there are pilot desalination projects now underway on the Georgia coast. While extracting fresh water from the ocean could help the Savannah area, pumping water "uphill 300 miles to Atlanta" probably would not be a cost-effective solution for the metro area, she says.

Olens says other steps are available to address water supplies. "For example, we need to have a conversation about tapping into the Tennessee River," he says. Olens also is calling for an expedited process to approve drinking water reservoirs. However, he adds, more reservoirs alone are not going to solve the problem. Georgia must take a number of steps to encourage or require better water conservation practices.

Numerous officials say the current concerns over the Atlanta area's long-term water capacity are not new. The issue resurfaces periodically, particularly during droughts, but often fades away when short-term issues are corrected and other problems draw new attention. The challenge facing Atlanta now is to make sure solutions are implemented before the next drought occurs.