Brother, can you spare a drink of water?
October 31, 2007 at 9:50 am by Scott Freeman in NewsThe U.S. Army Corps of Engineers said yesterday that Lake Lanier has enough depth to supply 280 days of drinking water. Oops, make that 279 days today. The state estimates there are 111 days worth of drinking water left.
Who to believe?
The state has hardly proven trustworthy in managing water issues. But let’s not forget, the Corps of Engineers is the same group that assured everyone the levees around New Orleans were safe before Katrina proved otherwise. So I’m not exactly ready to take their word to the bank, either.
In the meantime, our neighbors to the south don’t appear to be taking the drought very seriously.
In Columbus, the head of the water department is going to ask the state to exempt Columbus from water restrictions so people there can water their lawns and wash their cars.
And in Phenix City, Ala., across the river from Columbus, there are no water restrictions at all.
Ah, all for one and one for all. Right? Oops. Except when it comes to conserving water.
October 31st, 2007 at 11:07 am
That AJC report is highly misleading. There is no oasis of water sports here in Phenix City or Columbus. It’s true enough that our situation is not nearly as dire as Atlanta’s but there is a lot more going on than what you or that big Atlanta rag is talking about.
1. Columbus is considering fines of up to $1000 for water use ban violators.
http://www.ledger-enquirer.com/news/story/164765.html
2. Columbus, Georgia and Phenix City, Alabama draw only a fraction of their water from the same sources as Atlanta. Our reservoirs are mainly fed from tributaries well south of Atlanta and lake Lanier.
3. The Chattahoochee is drying up here. The article in the AJC that called this area an ‘oasis’ is another misperception. I offer this image of the river from the bank in Phenix City.
http://www.sincityq.com/blog/images/10hootch1cc.jpg
4. It is true that one city councilman from Columbus suggested removing the current restrictions because of the facts I mentioned above. But that has not been acted upon and so long as this drought continues, it is highly unlikely that it will.
I suggest that you take what your read in the Main Scream Media with a gain of salt and then perhaps even research a topic a bit before passing judgment.
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