Georgia lawmakers OK Perdue's water plan

By Ashley Speagle

Correspondent

ATLANTA -- The Georgia Legislature on Wednesday passed Gov. Sonny Perdue's plan to encourage conservation and renewal of state water supplies.

PDF: House bill PDF: Senate bill PDF: Water Stewardship

"Both the House and Senate took major steps today towards our goal of creating a true culture of conservation in Georgia," Gov. Perdue said. "This legislation promotes water conservation in Georgia and shows our neighbors that we are serious about being good stewards of our natural resources."

The plan was based on suggestions from the governor's Water Contingency Task Force and will help Georgia prepare for more droughts and the possible loss of water from Lake Lanier, Gov. Perdue said at a Capitol news conference.

The state is appealing a federal judge's ruling that Georgia must stop using Lake Lanier water, a decision that came out of a long-standing lawsuit between Georgia, Florida and Alabama.

Gov. Perdue released identical bills in the House and Senate, and sponsors made sure that changes to both matched as they went through committees.

The Senate passed the bill unanimously and the House by 166-5. All North Georgia lawmakers voted for the bill.

As in Gov. Perdue's original plan, the bills will require water-efficient fixtures in new construction, efficient cooling towers and special metering in new residential and commercial developments.

The bills also will require the Georgia Department of Natural Resources to further develop a statewide water conservation plan by Aug. 1. The Legislature will oversee the plan and its development.

Rep. John Meadows, R-Calhoun, a member of the House Natural Resources and Environment Committee, said he has some concerns as to how the state would calculate water usage.

WATER PLAN HIGHLIGHTS* By Aug. 1, the Georgia Department of Natural Resources will develop programs and incentives for voluntary water conservation.* All public water systems must conduct water-loss audits by Jan. 1, 2013.* Beginning Jan. 1, 2011, most outdoor watering must take place between 4 p.m. and 10 a.m.* After July 1, 2010, state codes will require individual water metering in multi-unit buildings, high-efficiency plumbing, low-flow toilets and high-efficiency cooling towers in all new construction.* Farm use withdrawal permits for surface and groundwater will be classified as active, inactive and unused.* A 10-member Joint Committee on Water Supply will be created to analyze the state's water supply and needs and to identify financing options for reservoirs and other water sources.Source: House and Senate bills

"Cities and counties don't know how many people are in your home," Rep. Meadows said. "In the cities of Dalton and Calhoun, most of our users are commercial and industrial."

He said he supports conservation, though, and the committee saw that other groups affected by the bills also agreed to the plan, including agricultural groups and homebuilders.

"I think it gives us a better standing when the judge says we can't have water," said Rep. Meadows. "It might give us a little bit of help in the water wars."

The bills now will swap chambers, but they are expected to breeze to the floors for final passage since they've already been through committee reviews.

The Senate bill's sponsor, Sen. Ross Tolleson, R-Perry, told his colleagues on the floor that the bill received positive reviews from Alabama press and officials.

The Georgia Chamber of Commerce, whose own members made up a significant portion of the Water Task Force that recommended the plan, also applauded the water conservation plan's passage.

"This bill will help both businesses and citizens of our state be more mindful of their water use and become better stewards overall -- ensuring adequate statewide water supplies for future needs," said Chamber President and CEO George Israel in a media release.

Ashley Speagle covers the Georgia Legislature. Contact her at speagle.ashley@gmail.com.

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