The future of Atlanta's water supply just got a bit more tenuous. On top of drought, a recent decision by a federal arbiter is giving the state of Georgia three years to develop a workable solution with Alabama and Florida regarding water from the Chattahoochee River and Lake Lanier. (See "3-Year Countdown Begins for Atlanta's Water Future") Much of Atlanta's municipal water is currently being drawn from Lake Lanier, but those withdrawals are impacting the rights held by downstream users to the flows of the Chattahoochee. The arbiter's decision essentially agreed to maintain the status quo for three years while the three states either negotiate a mutually acceptable compromise or lobby the U.S. Congress for a solution - i.e., a change in the use profile of Lake Lanier. (The reservoir was originally constructed to provide hydroelectricity and limited municipal use to nearby towns; the large-scale municipal withdrawals for Atlanta are not part of the reservoir's purpose.)
At least as our legal system controls it, water is a deceptively finite resource. Water rights in most states are dictated by some sort of appropriation scheme, with a seniority system of use rights determining who is entitled to what amount of water. The appropriation controls not only the water in rivers, streams, lakes, and reservoirs but accounts for all water present in a particular basin. Atlanta's problem is that it is withdrawing water from Lake Lanier to the point that downstream right holders are not receiving their allotted flows in the Chattahoochee. Even if a compromise is reached that permits Atlanta to continue drawing its municipal water from Lake Lanier, it is unlikely they will be permitted to take water at the rate at which they are currently doing so or at a rate that can support the current population of Atlanta and its water use habits. Thus, the city and the state are left with a few options, and the solution probably lies somewhere among all of them.
Pray: Georgia's Gov. Sonny Perdue received press for his pray-for-rain service on the steps of state capitol. At this point, its pretty obvious that all of Georgia should be praying for some divine intervention at all levels of this issue. But even the Good Book says that "even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead . . . ." (James 2:17, KJV)
Find new sources: I cannot claim to be an expert on water issues in the Southeastern U.S. But knowing generally the status of water resources in this country, I can say with some confidence that finding a new source of water - particularly one that could replace all of what Atlanta currently draws from Lake Lanier - will be difficult if not damn near impossible. At this point in the development of an area like the burgeoning Southeast, most of the available water sources are probably accounted for in the various state appropriation systems. Thus, "finding new water sources" means buying existing use rights from other holders. Without even doing any math, its obvious that Atlanta and Georgia do not possess a lot of bargaining power right now. Prices of any available rights will be steep.
Conservation: That's right, every one reading this piece that has read of my other posts on this blog knew this one was coming. In past posts, I have emphasized the collective power of individual action and responsibility. Water conservation is no different, and many of the solutions are fairly simple - shorter showers, efficient fixtures and appliances, turn off the water while brushing teeth and shaving, etc., etc. Others are more creative (putting a juice bottle full of water in your toilet tank to reduce water needed to fill), extreme (another toilet flushing idea), and unpleasant (dry shaving). Some jurisdictions permit residential collection of rainwater for nonpotable uses like watering lawns and gardens. The point here is that individual steps to water conservation can be as simple and cheap or as complicated and costly as one desires. But every little bit helps.
Government entities' roles should not be ignored here. These roles can take two forms. On one hand are incentive programs - tax rebates for installing efficient fixtures or appliances or other incentives for reduced water use. While these are effective at an individual household level, they may even be more effective if offered to developers and builders. If feasible, programs could extend free fixture upgrades to households who demonstrate a desire to upgrade but a financial inability to do so.
In dire situations though, more draconian measures may be necessary. A government can make any regulatory scheme effective by targeting one thing - bank accounts. Water agencies could essentially mandate conservation without threatening to turn off anyone's tap. One idea is a water tax. This tax may be on all water use, basically a way to discourage use through cost without arbitrarily just raising the fees. Plus, the segregated tax revenues could be used to fund the aforementioned government programs encouraging conservation. The tax could also be formulated to begin accuring once a water use exceeds a predetermined, per cycle limit. Such limits must be reasonable based on factors such as size of household and type of home or structure. Once the user exceeds that reasonable cap, all additional use in that cycle is taxed at the given rate. The rate must also be reasonable but significant enough that it deters use beyond the set limit.
Obviously such heavy-handed measures are not the ideal. Maintaining conservation as an individual choice with the prodding of incentive programs is more likely to foster a community spirit and enthusiam around conservation. Once conservation is required or practically required, as in the case of increased fees or taxes, it becomes another chore or inconvenience. The goal is long-term change in consumptive habits. While thoughtful regulatory measures will be effective in the short term, few such programs seem to survive administration changes unscathed. Even the "common-sense" ones. So the message today, taken from Atlanta's example, is encouraging smart water planning by governments and encouraging smart water use by citizens and water users. Hopefully, a combination of these will prevent future dire straights in the Southeast and other water-scarce parts of our country.
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