4 Yrs. After Water-Saving Campaign Began, Atlanta Can't Even Measure If It Worked - AJC

[hatrack]

Four years after metro Atlanta called for conservation measures that were supposed to ease water needs, there's been no metrowide accounting of how much water has been saved. Nor are there requirements for actual reductions. And critics say some of the most important steps called for in a regional plan —- retrofitting older homes with low-flow fixtures and raising billing rates for water hogs —- have yet to be fully implemented or have been watered down in some communities.

"There's a lot of smoke and mirrors," said Sally Bethea, executive director of the Upper Chattahoochee Riverkeeper, an environmental advocacy group. "With most of the water conservation programs, they are just going through the motions. They are talking the talk, but they are not following through to make sure we are really saving water."

In 2003, a board of local officials and state appointees created plans to ensure metro Atlanta had enough water through the year 2030. The 16-county region could make it, the board of the Metropolitan North Georgia Water Planning District said, but it warned that anything less than aggressive conservation would cause the area to run out of water early.

Brad Currey, a retired chief executive of packaging company Rock-Tenn, whom the governor recently appointed to the district board, said creation of the water plan was a major step. But implementation is another matter.

EDIT

http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/printedition/2007/10/23/conserve1023.html

[Justitia]

1. sooooo, are we gonna start hearing about a "failure to plan" like we did about New Orleans?

Probably not, eh?

[sam sarrha]

2. got to be serious about it... in el paso tx....use over the limit it costs like $8 +++ a gollon

could be much more now

[fasttense]

3. Is this an excuse to privatize Atlanta's water?

Is this a scare tactic to sell off the water rights of Atlanta? I just don't trust government officials anymore and I question the motivation for every supposed crisis. If they can't measure usage accurately enough to know if conservation measured worked or not, how do they know they are running out?

Who is going to get rich from the water crisis?

[AlecBGreen]

5. lol

to the fire-breathing economic purists, ANYthing is an excuse to privitize.

Losing money? Good, let business turn it around!

Turning a profit? Good, let business make MORE of a profit!

Some things MUST be controlled by the people - our education, our natural resources, and our health & safety services.

[RamblingRose]

4. I live in the NE suburbs of Atlanta & no one has taken water conservation seriously

until now that it's made national news. Many of the houses in our neighborhood have sprinkler systems and they would run them everyday even in the rain. Then about 2 months ago people started adhering to the odd/even watering days and now only in the past couple of weeks have people stopped watering their lawns, though I'm sure some still are.