Water - who has it and who needs it - is creating a polarized political climate of “us” versus “them.” For almost 20 years, the State of Georgia has battled Alabama and Florida in the courts for its share of Lake Lanier’s water supply. Georgia’s legal battle has already cost the taxpayers nearly $6.7 million with another $5 million spent by the Atlanta Regional Commission. The legal discord has sown distrust among the three states and now threatens to sow similar troubles here at home by pitting the water needs of metro-Atlanta against those of the rural regions of the state

Such concerns are now magnified by the State’s stunning defeat in U.S. District Court last month. U.S. District Judge Paul Magnuson ruled that the Army Corps of Engineers has never had legal authority to allow Georgia to use Lake Lanier as a primary domestic water source or even to store water there in preparation for drought years. The Court has granted Georgia three years to find alternative sources of water for the City of Atlanta or to prevail upon Congress to grant Atlanta’s use of Lake Lanier as its primary water source.

After that grace period, if the Court’s ruling holds, the metro region will be limited to 230 million gallons daily from Lake Lanier’s water flow. Currently, Lake Lanier sources provide more than double that amount for the area’s potable water. Taking into account all area water sources, Lake Lanier provides the lion’s share of the metro region’s water needs, well over three-fourths of the total, a plan never intended or approved by Congress.

Due to the uncertain outcome of Georgia either winning an appeal or obtaining great favor from Washington, state leaders must move forward on a package of legislative measures in the upcoming 2010 General Assembly showing that the State is serious about solving its water woes. Since the metro area is ground zero, the State’s full effort must first focus on comprehensive water planning where it will have the greatest impact, show considerable results within three years, and be achieved with the least cost.

As the City of Atlanta has already proven, fixing the obvious “holes in the bucket” provides instant water savings. In 2003, the City lost 20 percent of its clean water to leaks and unmetered uses. Within the past five years, its leak detection and abatement program has reduced water loss by 1 percent each year, enough to supply 244,000 Atlanta residents with water. This program, if instituted throughout the 16-county region, could potentially save anywhere from 10 to 20 percent in total water usage.

Secondly, retrofitting all outdated appliances and fixtures with water efficient models could provide an additional 35 percent savings in household consumption. The State should initiate a pro-active program, with special emphasis on the metro region, which rewards home and business owners with tax credits upon the installation of water efficient fixtures. Along these same lines, the State should provide incentives for new development to include water efficient measures, such as designing homes and neighborhoods to capture and reuse storm water and gray water on site.

The State also needs to survey existing reservoirs within the Apalachicola Chattahoochee Flint River (ACF) Basin to determine if water resources could substantially increase if these were dredged or otherwise enlarged. Maximizing the potential of existing dams is absolutely essential when considering the massive costs associated with new dam construction. The old school approach has always called for the building of new dams, but this is the most expensive and slowest solution. New dams can cost up to 8500 times more than water efficiency measures. According to Georgia’s Environmental Protection Division, dams can cost $4000 per 1000 gallons of capacity, while efficiency measures range from $0.46 to $250 per 1000 gallons saved or new capacity. Without trying to oversimplify the problem, it is far wiser to repair the holes in the bucket than to just pour more water into that leaky bucket.

By demonstrating good faith efforts with quick and measurable results, Georgia may win favor from Congress for a more generous solution regarding metro Atlanta’s water use from Lake Lanier. While initiating this common-sense course of action, Georgia will secure a cost-effective water supply, build trust among its southern neighbors, and help prevent water disputes between different regions of the state.

Sen. Chapman represents Brantley, Camden, Charlton, Glynn, and McIntosh counties, which comprise the Third Senate District of coastal Georgia. For further information about Sen. Chapman, visit his website at www.jeffchapman.us or contact him directly at 912-399-8683.