Georgia Water/Water Policy/Issues/Background

      Chapter 2. Water Resources Policy in Georgia

      2.5.1. Background -- Identifying the Issues



      Timeline of Issues Identification

      1999 - ACCG/GMA Joint Task Force on Water Resource Policy

      • The Association County Commissioners of Georgia (ACCG) and the Georgia Municipal Association (GMA) published their ACCG-GMA Joint Task Force on Water Resource Policy report, Georgia Water Resource Policy - A Call for Action] in December, 1999. The report listed four key needs to:
      1. Clearly state a comprehensive water management strategy,
      2. Refine Georgia's water allocation policies,
      3. Encourage multi-jurisdictional water management on a regional/watershed basis,
      4. Coordinate water and land use planning and management.

      2001 - Georgia Board of Natural Resources

      • The Georgia Board of Natural Resources prepared the Water Issues White Paper(May, 2001) which provided a summary of current water law in Georgia and "identified fifteen specific water issues and solutions which are recommended for consideration by the Joint Study Comittee for inclusion in the Comprehensive Water Plan."
      1. Interbasin water transfers
      2. Allocation of state water to private entities for resale
      3. Improve allocation of water for agricultural use
      4. Statewide water conservation
      5. Interim instream flow protection strategy
      6. Priorities for water use during drought
      7. Privately owned public water systems
      8. Assure a reliable and adequate water supply in growth areas with water supply reservoirs
      9. Real-time water management
      10. Water quality monitoring
      11. Attain water quality standards
      12. Assure wastewater capacity in growth areas
      13. Develop and implement erosion and sedimentation control improvements
      14. Public information and involvement
      15. Improve old water and sewer infrastructure

      2002 - Joint Comprehensive Water Plan Study Committee

      • The Final Report of the Georgia Water/Joint Comprehensive Water Plan Study Committee of the Georgia General Assembly listed 42 water issues needing review and possible revision of policy.
      1. Wastewater Capacity in Growth Areas
      2. Improvement of Old Water and Sewer Infrastructure
      3. Attaining Water Quality Standards/TMDLs
      4. Cost-Effective Stormwater Solutions
      5. Septic Tank Installation and Maintenance
      6. Protection and Management of Georgia’s Aquifer Recharge Areas
      7. Source Water Assessment/Protection
      8. Protection, Conservation and Restoration of Wetlands, Marshlands, and other Aquatic Ecosystems
      9. Water as a Public Resource versus a Market Commodity
      10. Allocating/Reallocating Water among Users
      11. Allocation of State Water to Private Entities for Resale
      12. Legal Status of Water Withdrawals, Permits and Transfers
      13. Legal Status of the Water in Aquifers while in the Ground and Following Withdrawal
      14. Interbasin Water Transfer and Basin-of-Origin Protection
      15. Water for Agricultural Use
      16. Statewide Water Conservation and Efficiency
      17. Water Reuse
      18. Consumptive Use Measurement and Reduction
      19. Instream Flow Protection Standards and Strategy
      20. Priorities for Water Use during Drought
      21. Irrigation Efficiency and Research
      22. Overdraft of the Floridan Aquifer/Salt Water Intrusion
      23. Water Supply Reservoirs
      24. Aquifer Storage and Recovery
      25. Flood Mitigation, Floodplain Management, and Dam Safety
      26. Lake Protection and Management
      27. Development/Implementation of Erosion and Sedimentation Control Improvements
      28. State and Substate/Regional Water Management Options
      29. Privately Owned Public Water Systems
      30. Interstate Water Issues
      31. Real-Time Water Management
      32. Water Management with Increased Variation in Weather Patterns
      33. Interagency Coordination
      34. Enforcement
      35. Water Quality, Quantity, and Biotic Integrity Monitoring
      36. Data Management Systems
      37. Public Information and Involvement
      38. Statewide Watershed Management and Assessment Information/Standards
      39. Increase Funding and Personnel for Water Resources Administration, Including Monitoring
      40. Availability and Use of Federal Funding for Water-Related Activities
      41. Water for Energy Production Systems
      42. Water Security

      2005 - Georgia Water Resources Conference

      1. Water Quantity Allocation
      2. Instream Flow Protection
      3. Ground Water Level Protection
      4. Water Quality (TMDL) Allocation
      5. Water Conservation/Efficiency/Reuse

      2005 - Georgia Water Council

      Issues Identified, by Organization

      Georgia Water Coalition

      Last modified on 22 September 2010, at 15:12