Water Water Where?? (Atlanta, Marietta: living in, moving to, swimming pool)

[Smithman]

I'm looking at moving to Atlanta and keep hearing scary stories about water shortages. Is it the same all over the Atlanta area, or are some of the cities nearby in better shape than others? Are there areas nearby where people have their own wells - maybe out in the country a bit? I would be working at Georgia Tech, so I wouldn't want to have a ridiculous commute. Bottom line: should I be picking a specific community to live in based on water or is it that everyone is in the same boat so to speak?

[netdragon]

It's just propaganda meant to improve ratings and many communities have already significantly decreased water usage and there is a new reservoir being built. There WILL be a real emergency if something isn't done in the next 10 years, but right now, there is only an inconvenience (e.g. peoples' lawns dying)

If you're working at GA Tech, I'd consider living in midtown. If you're looking for something more affordable, I'd live West of GA Tech, like at M-West near where Marietta St and Marietta Blvd meet.

By the way, wells usually draw from aquifers so they can dry up as well.

[midwest to south]

Is Atlanta getting any rain these days at all? There seems to be so much around.

[rcsteiner]

Originally Posted by midwest to south

Is Atlanta getting any rain these days at all? There seems to be so much around.

We just got quite a lit past night, and this week has actually been rather wet, though I guess Atlanta was still down quite a bit from average for the month of January.

The problem isn't the Atlanta area, though, but rather the area north of Atlanta that feeds into Lake Lanier, which is the main water reservoir at the center of many of these water issues.

Some folks might find the Atlanta Water Shortage web site to be interesting reading.

[crystalblue]

Georgia claims stake to Tennessee water | ajc.com (broken link)

we all knew they would try it eventually. lets see how it works out.

[magellan]

Originally Posted by rcsteiner

We just got quite a lit past night, and this week has actually been rather wet, though I guess Atlanta was still down quite a bit from average for the month of January.

The problem isn't the Atlanta area, though, but rather the area north of Atlanta that feeds into Lake Lanier, which is the main water reservoir at the center of many of these water issues.

Some folks might find the Atlanta Water Shortage web site to be interesting reading.

This one is a pretty good source too:

US Drought Monitor

[crystalblue]

GEORGIA'S WATER CRISIS: 'Big loser...is metro Atlanta' | ajc.com (broken link)

and it seems like Lanier isn't your own personal faucet.

Y'all better hope for alot of rain this year!

[rcsteiner]

Originally Posted by crystalblue

GEORGIA'S WATER CRISIS: 'Big loser...is metro Atlanta' | ajc.com (broken link)

and it seems like Lanier isn't your own personal faucet.

Strange comment, given that the metro area uses less than 15% of the total outflow from that particular lake and returns most of it to downstream users when it's done.

If the Atlanta metro was one of the largest water users, you might have a point, but it isn't.

Y'all better hope for alot of rain this year!

Hey, it isn't *our* nuclear power plants that'll be shutting down if the water flow gets too low. The plants I speak of are the main reason the Lanier outflow requirements are so high, not the Atlanta metro, so when the power goes out to the south of us you folks will have nobody else to blame. Some of those plants could have been retrofitted to use a lot less water years ago, but you folks chose to cut corners and waste water without regard for its impact on anyone else.

[Twinkletoes]

Water restrictions have been eased. Limited landscape watering and swimming pools will be allowed this spring.

[crystalblue]

sees a bit premature

DROUGHT: Perdue relaxes water rules | ajc.com (broken link)

and this is just him being stupid.

Perdue said if the drought continues to worsen and water use spikes, the restrictions may need to be reimposed.

"I'm trusting people to do the right thing," he said.