Atlanta is OUT OF WATER - stop moving here. (yes, fer real)... (Douglas: apartments)

[atlantagreg30127]

Well, according now to State and Federal experts, Atlanta will pretty much be out of water in about 3 months. As in nearly OUT. Millions of people will have only trickles of water coming out of their faucets, while many will have zero coming out for hours a day, and if it get bad enough, not at all. October is typically our most dry month of the year, and weather experts are predicting a very dry, warm Winter for this year as well. How many days do you think you can go without flushing your toilet? Without taking a shower? How many hours do you think you can stand in a Walmart parking lot behind the mother with 8 screaming kids with buckets in your hand waiting for the water truck to give you your "Ration" for the day?

Today's AJC article: Lake Lanier has three months of water storage left | ajc.com

A video article that shows visuals of lake levels: Landscapers Ask Other Businesses To Conserve Water Too - Video - WSB Atlanta


Atlanta to this day continues to add an average of 55,000 new residents per year, every year, to the metro area. Anyone who is already here, I would encourage you to send off an email to the Governor's office and your local elected officials to encourage them to put a hault on new building permits for homes, condos, and apartments for a while.

For those thinking of moving here - I'd suggest perhaps stalling those plans. You will not only be adding to the existing problems here, but, will only add hassles to your own life if once here you are on immediate water restrictions yourselves in your new homes.

[NorthmeetsSouth]

I was told yesterday that Douglas county has stopped issuing building permits until the drought is over.

[Twinkletoes]

Well, there's an easy solution to that. We just need to quit sending water to Alabama.

I would take anything you read like that with a grain a salt. It if were really that serious, they would have tightened restrictions on local businesses. The car washes are still operating, as are golf courses and the Pepsi plant (noted in the article as the biggest user of water in the city of Atlanta).

[atlantagreg30127]

If we were talking about government agencies that are always on their toes I'd agree. But we're talking about Atlanta and regional agencies which haven't had the best track record of being staffed by the most observant people. They're now at the, "Oh... crap... " level, but by the time they form all of their committees to study the situation and talk the Governor into doing anything, we'll be much further in the hole. I truly believe this is one situation where things went from bad to worse and no one really knew it was as bad as it is until the very last minute.

Personally I do think we are up a creek with no paddle (and no water), and I'm far from being an alarmist. If we get some rain then yeah, I think it'll do a lot to ease the issue, but if we actually go through the winter with no large rain days (as in getting 2-4 inches at a time), then I do think there will be problems ahead. Big problems.

If Douglas County has stopped building permits then that's one good step. Now if Cobb, Gwinnett, Fulton, and Forsyth do the same (unlikely but we can hope), then it will help down the road a lot. I think we all should be conserving water to a degree even when there is NOT a drought going on, but now I really do feel everyone should take a few minutes to think what they can do around the house (or office) to save any amount, and do it.

[PeteyNice]

Am I the only one amused that a Pepsi plant is the largest water user in Atlanta?

Also, we are sending billions of gallons of water for a power plant that serves 19,000 people? WTF?

We need more than just restrictions - we need a combination of restrictions and new sources of water, or stop sending water to other states.

[normie]

Considering the inventory of houses and the housing slump, this is a good time to restrict new building, anyway.

[south-to-west]

It would be great if the State did something novel--like actually invest in infrastructure that makes sense. We are long overdue for a direct pipeline from the Tennessee River to Atlanta. A number of major cities in the US pipe in there water from reservoirs and sources hundreds of miles away such as NYC, LA, and Denver. We should have done this a long time ago.

[forresthills]

lets switch to pepsi and that will solve most of the problem lol

[Yeorwned]

The only reason we're low on water is the U.S. Army Corp released millions of gallons earlier this year, which they shouldn't have...has nothing to do with how many people are watering their lawns as much as too much released per the drought conditions.

[gt6974a]

you can see Allatoona here, we're really not that far below as usual, although Lanier is mostly the drinking water for Metro, that's why it's not usually drained.

Here's the map for Toona, Alabama-Coosa-Tallapoosa River Basin click on Allatoona on the right side middle 'Lake Elevation and 5-Week Forecast'

Here's Lanier, very bad shape, Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint River Basin


You can see the rivers, and damns along each system.