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Statewide water plan adopted Click
here for Statewide Water Plan
The General Assembly ratified the plan by overwhelming majorities - 39-12 in the Senate and 131-37 in the House. The plan creates 11 water planning regions, including the existing metro Atlanta water planning district, and provides for boards in each region charged with the responsibility of conducting a three-year study of the water resources in each region. Those boards will consist of 25 members appointed by the governor, lieutenant governor and House speaker. A minimum of eight of those members must be local elected officials. Gov. Sonny Perdue has earmarked $11.1 million to begin implementation of the plan, which is estimated to cost $36.5 million when done. Senator John Bulloch, who was a member of the Water Council responsible for developing the plan, and Representative Gerald Greene voted for the plan. "We call it the Comprehensive State Water Plan, but really it's a plan to develop a plan. This is not the 'final plan.' It's the beginning," Senator Bulloch told the Moultrie Observer. "Despite differing views of the plan, it's a wellthought out start," he stated. Opponents of the plan from Columbus, Augusta, Savannah, Rome and across South Georgia argue the plan does not do enough to prevent a water grab by Atlanta. When asked if he thought Atlanta could access South Georgia's aquifers, Bulloch gave an adamant 'no'.
The plan was supported by Farm Bureau and the Georgia
Agribusiness Council, power companies, farmers and the Georgia Chamber of
Commerce. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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