Local officials slam state water plan

Shoal-marker and vegetation, both once submerged in West Point Lake, show extent of drought. (file photo/Dave Bender)

An eleventh hour change in the plan seeks to allocate water according to so-called “service delivery regions,” and not by watershed.

That concept didn't sit well with Bob Tant, Columbus Water Works vice-president:

"They introduced this change right at the last minute, and it was such a major change, it almost begs anyone who follows this process to have to bail out on the plan."

Critics decried what they say was a lack of local influence in decision-making. They fear the water plan serves political and business needs of Atlanta, more than those of communities downstream.

About 40 officials and experts attended the final round of these statewide meeting.

The final draft will go before the state legislature in January.

Click here for more GPB News coverage of the water crisis.

Columbus wants off level-4 drought list

Ankle-deep, midstream in the Chattahoochee River,
looking north to the 13th St. Bridge. (Dave Bender)

The Columbus Water Works wants the city to be taken off the level-four drought list, saying the designation is unfair.

Water Works Executive Vice President Bob Tant, says the state should lower the city to the less-strict stage two designation. He says Columbus is carrying an unjust burden, compared to other parts of Georgia:

“The contribution to any savings that Columbus can make -- at best -- is really, very small, and is, in fact, dwarfed by the flows that would be taken out of the lower end [of the Chattahoochee River] into the Apalachicola [River].”

Tant says city residents have largely followed the ban, and that overall daily usage dropped from 39 to 23 million gallons since the ban went into effect at the end of September.

He added that Columbus, dubbed the “Fountain City,” has turned off all the decorative downtown waterworks, and that educational institutions have followed suit.

While repeat ban-breakers might have their water turned off, the city is not levying fines against violators.

Click here for more GPB News coverage of the drought.

Columbus: no fines for breaking watering ban

Chattahoochee River (Columbus State University partially visible on left bank), during late afternoon water release. Dillingham St. Bridge to Phenix City, Ala., is in the distance. (Dave Bender)

The Columbus City Council on Tuesday decided not to levy fines for residential outdoor water usage – this, despite the stage four, total ban on such use in Muscogee Co.

Columbus Water Works Executive Vice President Bob Tant, who attended the session, says the motion to impose fines on offenders was tabled for future review by the Columbus Water Board.

The proposed fines would have ranged from $100 to $1,000, depending on how many citations the offender had received. Residential users now receive a warning notice for breaking the ban, a letter for the second infraction, and a possible water cutoff -- depending on circumstances -- according to Tant.

Tant says the total ban is unfair to Columbus:

"We feel that it's somewhat unfair that we have invested in our utility, so that a large portion of the water will go back to the river; and other communities in north Georgia -- under the same restrictions -- have developed on septic tanks, and have no sanitary sewer systems, and are not returning that water to the river, so, we think it's a problem."

Tant says city residents have largely followed the ban. He noted that overall usage dropped from 39 to 23 million gallons a day, since the ban went into effect at the end of September.

Latoya Moore, a Water Works customer service representative, said that, although the majority of clients were limiting their water usage, they were receiving approximately five complaints a week from disgruntled users dissatisfied with the ban, or requesting exemptions.

Tant added that Columbus, dubbed the “Fountain City,” has turned off all the decorative downtown waterworks. He said educational institutions, like Columbus State University and Muscogee Co. schools have followed suit, and are leaving some lawns and athletic facilities dry.

Click here for more GPB News coverage of the drought.