The News Review:
- ABC News: 33 States Face Dwindling Water Supply
- US water supply in jeopardy
- Drought gives Ga. water planning new urgency
- “Work stalled on water supply scheme”
ABC News: 33 States Face Dwindling Water Supply
ABC News – Oct 28, 2007
“This is a disaster. Without water, things die,” Reames said. Could Atlanta Be Next?The drastic and dramatic situation in Orme has served as an additional warning to Georgia officials and residents who worry their water supply will dry out, too. In an effort to prevent that, the state has banned all outdoor watering with few exceptions. And the restrictions are about to get tighter. Sonny Purdue ordered a 10 percent reduction in water use in response to the crisis.
US water supply in jeopardy
Seattle Times – Oct 28, 2007
— An epic drought in Georgia threatens the water supply for millions. Florida doesn’t have nearly enough water for its expected population boom. The Great Lakes are shrinking. Upstate New York’s reservoirs have dropped to record lows. And in the West, the Sierra Nevada snowpack is melting faster each year…
The state also dumps hundreds of billions of gallons a year of treated wastewater into the Atlantic through pipes — water that otherwise could be used for irrigation. Florida’s environmental chief, Michael Sole, is seeking legislative action to force municipalities to reuse the wastewater. “As these communities grow, instead of developing new water with new treatment systems, why not better manage the commodity they already have and produce an environmental benefit at the same time?” Sole said. Florida leads the nation in water reuse by reclaiming some 240 billion gallons annually, but it is not nearly enough, Sole said. In addition to recycling and conservation, technology holds promise. There are more than 1,000 desalination plants in the U.
Drought gives Ga. water planning new urgency
USA Today – Oct 28, 2007
Now that reservoirs already are shrinking and water supplies are threatened, lawmakers are scrambling to cope. After years of lax zoning laws and pro-growth policies that led to urban sprawl throughout much of northern Georgia, politicians are preparing a statewide water plan that would guide Georgia’s growth and provide emergency drought plans. Some are talking about building a network of state reservoirs to supplement the federal reservoirs they say they can no longer rely on. “With great crisis comes great opportunity,” said state Rep…
Courtney, director of the National Wildlife Federation’s Southeast office. The Legislature will have its chance in January. On the agenda is a proposal to spend $30 million to assess Georgia’s water resources and how best to use them. “This is about men, women and children having drinking water. We think it’s time to modify our priorities and start protecting the people,” says House Speaker Glenn Richardson. Another measure could pave the way for more state-funded reservoirs to capture the 50 inches of rain that falls over Georgia each year. “If we can just manage the rainfall and utilize that and make sure that we have abundant storage for it, we can take care of our needs well into the future,” said Lt.
“Work stalled on water supply scheme”
Hindu – Oct 28, 2007
In a statement, she said the scheme was sanctioned in 2005, at an estimated cost of about Rs. 1 crore, when her party was in power. To highlight these issues, the AIADMK would stage a demonstration at Tiruttani on Monday.