Legal fees add up as water litigation stretches on and on
March 29, 2012As lawyers speculate whether the U.S. Supreme Court will decide this summer to hear the tri-state water wars case between Florida, Georgia and Alabama, they don’t stand idle -- and the meters haven't stopped running.
So far, the state of Georgia, and the Atlanta Regional Commission have spent about $18.7 million in outside legal fees in the two-decades-long tri-state water wars negotiating and litigating to preserve metro Atlanta’s access to drinking water from Lake Lanier.
Residents query funding
March 14, 2012Roswell may have found a rip in the red tape binding much of the state’s water supply.
While other cities and counties fret over keeping what water they have, the city of 88,000 is opening the valve.
Whether Roswell succeeds in growing its water supply could have ripple effects on surrounding utilities and the rates they charge, Mayor Jere Wood said.
Roswell has become the only city in north Fulton County with its own water system. Right now, the utility serves 14,300 residents, mostly in the city’s southwest corner. Fulton County serves the remainder.
“We’d love to have a number of wells and be able to service all the residents of Roswell,” Wood said. “Water is a limiting resource. If you don’t have water, you can’t grow, so by adding water, we’re helping the region.”
Water supply, conservation vital
February 08, 2012If you have lived in Georgia for long, you have seen our population and economy grow significantly. You have also seen droughts come and go. Hopefully, recent rains are the beginning of the end to our drought conditions.
Population growth, economic development and drought place significant demands on our state’s water supply infrastructure. By proactively addressing our water supply issues with new water sources and conservation, we will have enough water to meet the state’s future needs.