EPD Investigates Sewage Spill Into Chattahoochee

Columbus water officials could face stiff fines from a major sewage spill into the Chattahoochee River over the weekend.

Weekend rainfall flushed more than 1.5 million gallons of sewage into the Chattahoochee and nearby Lake Oliver in western Georgia.

Steve Davis with Columbus Water Works says more than five inches of rain overwhelmed the city's sewer system at two points. But, he says the spill likely is not a public health risk:

"We'd be very surprised. We don't suspect that even through our water quality sampling that we'll see much impact. From a public perspective, I wouldn't be concerned."

Davis says sewage that overflowed into the river was already well-diluted, and diluted further by strong river flow.

Columbus Water has already filed a report to the Enviromental Protection Division, with a meeting between officials soon to come. The EPD says Columbus Water Works could face fines, based on completion of a full review.

Rollin' on the reservoir in south Georgia

Spillway at Walter F. George Dam, Lock and Reservoir. (Dave Bender)

Every year several million visitors flock to the Walter F. George Reservoir on the Chattahoochee River in southwest Georgia.

Clyde Isom operates the boat lock at the southern end of the reservoir. He flicks a small switch that operates a set of 50-foot high iron doors that let boats in and out of the lock:

"Basically, we have the hydraulics going there, and when we get it closed, and once we drop this down, we have 172,000 pounds per square inch on these gates here…

It's a mechanism that works like an elevator for boats crossing between waterways of different heights. A boats enter one side of the lock, and the first set of doors swing shut behind it. Then -- depending on direction -- the water is either pumped in or out, which raises or lowers the boat.

Boat lock at the Walter F. George Reservoir. (Dave Bender)

Then, the set of doors in front of the boat swing open, allowing the craft to continue on. The lock between Walter F. George and George W. Andrews Lake makes its eight-story cycle in about 20 minutes.

Lockmaster Clyde Isom watches as the massive gates slowly close, at Walter F. George Dam. (Dave Bender)

The dam's about 75-miles south of Columbus. It was built in 1964 by the Corps of Engineers. Its water-driven turbines produce electricity for several thousand homes and businesses in south Georgia.

The reservoir, dam and lock are part of the 290-mile long Appalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint River project -- "ACF" for short -- which connects the three waterways of Georgia, Alabama and Florida.

Several years of drought have only sharpened a contentious three-way deadlock over the amounts of water allowed to flow through the ACF and out to the Gulf of Mexico. And so far, no resolution is in sight.

Bill Smallwood of the Corps of Engineers runs the 45,000 acre reservoir. He says close to 4 million people flock to the area annually, and that last month traffic on the boat ramps was especially brisk:

"We're packed with boaters every weekend. Especially the Fourth of July; they have a huge fireworks show at Fort Gaines, and there had to have been 3-400 boats out here watching it that night."

Smallwood walks across the narrow road atop the dam. He notes that recent rains had those boats floating a lot higher than they would in Lake Lanier, upstream from Atlanta.

Lanier, which suffered a near-catastrophic drop in water levels from the drought, has recovered – somewhat. This part of the state, though, was less parched:

"Lanier started off about 15-feet low this year. They recovered about seven feet in the winter. But their watershed is an eighth the size of our watershed, so an inch of rain in north Georgia doesn't do as much as an inch of rain in middle Georgia does for us."

Smallwood says Lanier is currently releasing a minimal 7,500 gallons-per-second, unlike Walter F. George, which is at full pool.

The area also hosts the Eufala National Wildlife Refuge, which is also a popular refuge for bird and animal watchers. Smallwood says:

"We have a lot of deer -- all types of wildlife all around the lake. You see deer and turkey; we got a fox that lives out behind the office, and of course every type of bird life you can imagine…"

As if to illustrate his point, a deer suddenly bursts from some nearby trees, and dashes in front of our pickup truck, as we drive along the dam's entrance road. But it freezes when it sees us and then bounds back into the woods.

Wild deer attempting to cross approach road to the reservoir. (Dave Bender)

Deer tend to stay far from people, but some of the more dangerous denizens have been more bold about making their presence known:

"This time last year, we had a couple'a huge gators," Smallwood says. "I mean we had 11-12-13 foot; they were out here every day out behind our office. Haven't seem 'em this year, because they're hiding better I guess, because there's enough water."

But not to worry says Smallwood -- that water's attracting a lot more people than gators, this summer to the Walter F. George reservoir.

Click here for more GPB News coverage of the drought in Georgia.

Bradleys and Baghdad on the 'Hootch'

Maj. Shane Sims goes through a final checklist with the driver of the Bradley Fighting Vehicle on the testing pad at Fort Benning, a day before trucking the 25-ton tracked vehicles into Columbus on Thursday, June 5, 2008. (Dave Bender)

Two Bradley Fighting Vehicles – tank-like personnel carriers – clanked along in downtown Columbus traffic on Thursday, in order to test out hi-tech camera gear.

A Bradley Fighting Vehicle pulls into traffic in downtown Columbus for a test run. The tank is sandwiched between two of the test team's pickup trucks to minimize the chance of hitting a civilian vehicle , June 5, 2008. (Dave Bender)

Cpl. Jason Wade of Columbus State University police watched as the vehicles rolled by his post near a parking garage on Front Street:

“That's something downtown's never seen before. It's pretty neat! Couldn't imagine being stopped at a red light and seeing this big 50-caliber gun stuck in my rear view mirror (laughs).

He's watching an army test to better protect soldiers out on patrol from bombs, bullets and the mayhem on Iraqi streets.

They want to keep soldiers safely buttoned up in an armor plated, 25-ton Bradley Fighting Vehicle. The steel and aluminum-hulled heavyweight runs on treads, carries a three-man crew and up to seven infantrymen.

Fort Benning officials are here to acid test a new camera vision system that's supposed to transmit a 360-degree color and infrared view of what's going on outside to the crew's tv-screens inside.

But the system's camera and infrared scanners – which translate degrees of heat and cold into a black and white image – are blinded by southwest Georgia's scorching 100-degree heat reflecting off walls, cars and people.

Spc. Kyle Jolley and another crew member take a break on the Bradley Fighting Vehicle's ramp, between sorties through downtown Columbus to test camera systems, June 5, 2008. (Dave Bender)

Specialist Kyle Jolley, who monitors the cameras is having a tough time interpreting what's on his screen:

“It's kind of overwhelming at this point, because there's so many noncombatants that are there, and a lot of them have cameras, so it's hard to distinguish an actual video camera or something like that. Also, you're trying to pick people apart in groups, and by the time you do, you're already passed them and moved on to the next group.”

Interviewer:
What about the infrared signatures?

Jolley:
“Infrared's difficult during the day, because the sun heats up the surrounding areas so much, that people don't stand off against the background as well as they do during the nighttime.”

Jolley has to pick out eight soldiers who are wearing street clothes, and posing as insurgents. They're brandishing long black tubes as make-believe weapons, and hiding in the deep shadows of windows and doorways, and behind bushes and foliage.



Second Lieutenant Alfred Spiteri, posing as an insurgent, points a mock anti-tank rocket at the Bradley Fighting Vehicle as it drives by a parking garage, June 5, 2008. The maneuver is meant to test the vehicle's on-board camera system in real life situations, similar to those encountered in Iraq. (Dave Bender)

Infantry Second Lieutenant Alfred Spiteri quickly points his mock anti-tank rocket out the window of a parking garage, and then pulls back:

“Our job here is to work as an enemy for this exercise, so that they can see if the new camera systems they're trying to incorporate into the Bradleys' are effective. Other people out here have mock rifles, so that the Bradley crews can differentiate between what weapons we're using.”

But despite the snafus the army says it wants all the feedback – positive and especially negative - from the camo-clad troops, so they can fix the bugs before the system is deployed in Baghdad's back alleys.

I ask Major Shane Sims, who's in charge of the field testing, about other possible battle scenarios:

Interviewer:
“You're running through downtown Baghdad; a kid runs up with spray paint, gets two cameras out; someone throws a grenade on it – you can blow out a camera...”

Sims:
“You're very attuned into what some of the issues are. those are very good questions, and those are issues we're all addressing in this experiment.”

After the Bradleys are trucked back to Fort Benning, and the field reports are filed, Sims says additional system testing and adding improvements will take place at the Army's armor center at Fort Knox, Kentucky.

Crewmember undergoes an inspection before deploying his vehicle on a test sortie in downtown Columbus, June 5, 2008. (Dave Bender)

Click here for more GPB News coverage of events at Fort Benning and the post's effect on Columbus and the surrounding area .

Federal biologists say Georgia can keep more water

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers plan to keep more water upstream in Georgia got the blessing of federal biologists Monday. U.S. Fish and Wildlife officials say storing more water in Georgia's reservoirs and releasing less downstream would not jeopardize the existence of Gulf sturgeon and three types of mussel. The adjusted water plan was announced in April, allowing for reservoirs along the Chattahooche to store 50 percent of the inflow into the river basin. The Chattahooche runs into the downstream Apalachicola River, which in turn runs into the Gulf of Mexico.

Corps to cut Lanier water releases again

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has agreed to the state’s request to send less water into the Chattahoochee River as it winds through metro Atlanta. The Corps agreed Wednesday to release less water from Lake Lanier, at least through the end of this month. The federal agency that operates Lanier already had reduced the flows from the lake for six weeks in March and April, also from a request from the state. The actions have already resulted in Lanier’s levels rising nearly three feet since mid-March.

Benning BRAC Planning Group Meets

(Courtesy Greater Columbus Chamber of Commerce)

A coalition of ten Chattahoochee Valley counties met today to hammer out details of a massive program to bring tens of thousands of soldiers and their families to Fort Benning and Columbus.

The army's Base Realignment and Closure program – BRAC for short – will transfer some 40,000 troops from Ft. Knox, Kentucky by 2011.

A consortium known as The Valley Partnership is planning the infrastructure for the influx that will affect ten counties in Georgia, and three across the Chattahoochee River in Alabama.

Officials began working on a Regional Growth Management Plan just after the New Year. They're examining a 35-mile radius around the army training base to coordinate and assess the projected effects of the move on the area over the next 20-years. They include new highways, housing, schools, utilities, and a score of other issues.

Columbus Chamber of Commerce President Mike Gaymon, speaking to the Chattahoochee Valley group, Jan., 23, 2008. (Dave Bender)

Mike Gaymon, president of the Greater Columbus Chamber of Commerce:

“Highways, for example; buildings, for example. Where are these houses going to go, where do these subdivision need to go? Is the water and sewer there? And we know that there are a lot of areas, where there's no water and sewer... so, it's big. It touches every fabric and part of these counties we'll be working with.”

Local officials say the Department of Defense move – the biggest such peacetime personnel and materiel transfer in army history – will bring an estimated two billion dollars in capital investment to the area. In addition, the DoD is assisting the funding of the effort.

Ron Roth, vice president of Science Applications International Corporation, is in charge of the project's planning and integration:

“The Department of Defense – The Office of Economic Adjustment provides funding for communities that are affected by BRAC decisions. Columbus and the surrounding area has revieved the largest grant ever: 3.3 million dollars - so that's a pretty big deal.”

J. Mac Holladay, CEO of Market Street Services consultants, is crunching the research numbers:

“We are going to be specifically looking at the housing needs that this is going to bring to the region; we're going to be helping out on the educational needs, in terms of K-to-12, and higher education and what that's going to mean. The whole team is really working on about 16 different tasks.”

The project will affect Chattahoochee, Harris, Muscogee, Marion, Stewart, Talbot and Taylor counties in Georgia, and Barbour, Lee and Russel in Alabama.

“It has the largest regional impact I've ever seen. So I think it's that need for really looking at it in total, that's an important part of the project,” according to Holladay.

Projected BRAC growth timeline. Click on graph for full-size image. (Courtesy Greater Columbus Chamber of Commerce)

Click here for more GPB News coverage of the BRAC project.

Perdue: Most Localities Met Water Goals

Lake Allatoona: mudflats caused by the drought are seen here encroaching on the marina, Sunday, Dec. 16, 2007. (Dave Bender)

Water systems in drought-stricken northern Georgia have exceeded a state mandate to reduce the region's consumption by 10 percent, an early sign that the state's conservation efforts are working, Gov. Sonny Perdue said Tuesday.

But some providers actually increased their water use compared to this time last year. Some 31 of the region's 97 largest water providers didn't come close to meeting the goal, while another 17 were "oh so close," said Carol Couch, the state's top environmental official.

Still, Perdue said he was "amazed and surprised" that the 61 counties reduced their water use by about 13 percent - about 348 million gallons a day.

"This is enough water to supply 1.7 million Georgia households everyday," he said.

With reservoir levels at record lows, Perdue ordered public water providers and utilities with water withdrawal permits throughout north Georgia in October to cut their withdrawals by 10 percent. He warned then that systems could face fines from the state's Environmental Protection Division if they don't comply.

Data released by the state Tuesday revealed, though, that dozens of those under the order hadn't met the mandate, including electric utility Georgia Power. Six of the company's 10 power plants didn't meet the state's order, and several used more water than they did in the same period last year.

That includes Plant Hammond, north Georgia's biggest water user, which used nearly 550 million gallons of water a day in November - an increase of almost 50 million gallons of water a day over last year. The region's second-largest water user, Plant McDonough, also increased its water use by 13 million gallons a day compared with the previous year.

Georgia Power spokesman Jeff Wilson said 93 percent of the water its plants use is returned to the water body from which it was withdrawn. He said the power plants that consume the water are baseload plants that run continuously to supply the state's electrical needs.

"Generating facilities have been actively implementing measures to reuse water and reduce water where feasible," he said. "We will continue to work to identify additional conservation and reuse practices."

He also said the company is trying to more aggressively detect leaks and suspend all "nonessential water use."

Perdue wouldn't say whether the state will move to fine providers that didn't meet his order.

"We're not saying what consequences will or will not be," he said. "We think most people will do their part. We haven't focused on the consequences. We focused on how to diagnose how systems aren't successful."

The dry conditions have also given a new sense of urgency to to settle a water fight that's lasted almost 20 years over how the federal government manages water in the region.

At a meeting on Monday, the governors of Georgia, Florida and Alabama and the federal government agreed not to reduce the minimum amount of water flowing into Florida's Apalachicola Bay, and pledged to come up with a plan for doling out the region's water by March.

Click here for more on that story, and other ongoing GPB News and multimedia coverage of the drought.

(The Associated Press)

Rains mean less water released from Lanier

Recent rains mean the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers can cut back on releasing water from Lake Lanier. The Corps manages the reservoir in North Georgia. A Corps official says rain didn’t boost level at Lake Lanier, but added to water flowing through the lower Chattahoochee and Flint rivers. Water is released from Lanier to feed those rivers.

Kia: Water Woes No Worry For Plant

Backhoe rips out foliage beneath Kia sign at plant site, to make an entrance road. (File photo/Dave Bender)

Kia construction project manager Mike Criddle says Kia's not considering any changes in construction, or planned production as a result of the current water crisis.

Criddle says that Kia has agreements in place with the nearby cities of LaGrange and West Point, who are to both provide water for the manufacturing facility's water-based paint system.

Criddle at work in his office at Lagrange City Hall. Artist's view of finished manufacturing facility is visible in background. (File photo/Dave Bender)

West Point City Manager Ed Moon says his city will spend an estimated 20 million dollars to expand their water and wastewater capacity in preparation for the town's and factory's expected demands.

Kia officials say the two-million sq.-ft. facility, set on a 650-acre site will employ nearly 3,000 workers and produce 300,000 vehicles annually.

Click here for more GPB reports on the manufacturing facility.

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.

Corps: 'Lanier has water for 100 days'

Lake Lanier and surrounding area. (U. S. Army Corps of Engineers)
A U.S. Army Corps of Engineers official says the water level at Lake Lanier is less severe than has been claimed.

Corps' operations project manager Jonathan Davis, says the lake has reserves to meet critical needs for the next several months, according to an Atlanta Journal-Constitution report.

Davis, speaking at the Alpharetta Rotary Club, said the lake has over three months worth of water, according to the report.

The state, for its part, today filed suit in a Florida federal court against the Corps. Click here for more GPB News coverage of the water crisis.

Drought threatens West Point water supply

Columbus: stones and sand bars along the Chattahoochee, downstream from West Point. (Dave Bender)

The drought is affecting West Point's ability to pump water from the Chattahoochee River. City Manager Ed Moon says that two of the city's three raw water intakes are already drawing air, and that the third is threatened:

Moon: “The top of our lowest intake is at 1.8 feet; we need to maintain that 2.2 feet at 600 cfs (cubic feet per-second) to continue to have a viable raw water supply.”
Interviewer: “And if that does not happen, what steps will the city take to protect its water?”
Moon: “We have a contingency plan to use some auxiliary pumping, with a pump located further out in the river.”

West Point is spending close to 20 million dollars to improve infrastructure, including water supply for the massive Kia auto-plant being built nearby.

Click here for more GPB coverage of the ongoing water crisis.
Click here for more GPB coverage about the planned Kia factory.

Low water levels = great kayaking

Wet and wild on the 'Hooch: Kayakers paddle towards the rapids on Monday, Oct. 1, 5 PM.
(Dave Bender)


Same spot on the 'Hooch, Tuesday, Oct. 2, 12 AM. (Dave Bender)

The Chattahoochee River and other Georgia bodies of water have hard hit by the drought. Officials warn, for example, that Lake Lanier is at it's lowest point in 20-years.

But while the deepening drought and low water levels along the Chattahoochee have been bad news for most water sports, it's been good news for kayakers at Eagle Phenix Dam in Columbus.

On many afternoons, soon after Georgia Power opens the floodgates upstream, wet-suited enthusiasts can be seen deftly flipping and bobbling around the rocky shoals, which are only visible in drought conditions.

Kayaker Zach Sanders, of Auburn, Alabama told GPB News the daily rapids here are the best he's seen:

“I've paddled, you know, all over the southeast, and this is as good or better than any spot I've been to, here in Columbus.”

But in the hours just before the deluge? You can just about walk from bank-to-bank, and barely get your feet wet.

On September 28, 2007, the Georgia Environmental Protection Division declared a Level Four Drought schedule across the northern third of Georgia (.PDF file download).

United States Geological Service real-time drought statistics are available here.

Click here for more GPB coverage of the water crisis.

Columbus to go ahead with water lawsuit

The Columbus City Council in a unanimous vote last night gave the green light for a lawsuit to be filed in the next week against the U-S Army Corps of Engineers.

The city wants to ensure it receives the proper amount of water from the Chattahooche River. Columbus officials say unless the waterworks and treatment facilities get their full allocation mandated by its state permit, millions would have to be spent on equipment upgrades.

The fate of the suit had been in limbo since June when it was first considered by the 10-member council.

Columbus mulling lawsuit over ‘Hooch water use

Chattahoochee River, July 4, 2007: sandbars illustrate
lack of water. Columbus is on right, 13th St. bridge to
Phenix City, AL, is in background. (Photo: Dave Bender)

The city of Columbus is considering filing a lawsuit against the US Army Corps of Engineers over reduced access to the Chattahoochee River.

The city council first discussed the issue in June, and a resolution giving the go-ahead for the lawsuit was agreed upon at a closed session on July 10.

The city says that unless the waterworks and water treatment facilities get their full allocation mandated by its state permit, they may have to spend millions in equipment upgrades.

Mayor Jim Wetherington and Governor Sonny Perdue have met twice in recent weeks to discuss the issue.

The council is set to decide the matter on Tuesday.

July 4th: 'Thunder On The Hooch' wows crowds

Rockets' red glare over crowds at Columbus State University.
(Photo: Dave Bender)
Columbus, Georgia and Phenix City, Alabama celebrated a joyous July 4th along the Chattahoochee River at the “Thunder On The Hooch,” celebration.

Spectators packed the downtown river walks and the Dillingham bridge connecting the cities, from early afternoon until late Wednesday night, waiting for the fireworks show to start.

A family and children gaze up at the sky show.
(Photo: Dave Bender)
Meanwhile, families thronged spinning amusement park rides and painted their faces with American flags and sparkles, as the afternoon settled to dusk.

At the Phenix City amphitheater, local musicians and entertainers performed for the audience, who filled the stepped arena facing the water. A concert band played patriotic melodies and the themes of the branches of the US armed forces.

The crowd cheered and applauded as the first fireworks blasted into the sky from the Columbus side at 9:30, and didn't stop until the final blast and bang echoed across the Chattahoochee.

A spectator watches the show. (Photo: Dave Bender)

Columbus: Water Works filing suit against Corps of Engineers

The City of Columbus may join a federal lawsuit against the US Army Corps of Engineers. At stake are water use rights in the Chattahoochee River.

The City of Columbus's Water Works is asking the city council to join its case. It contends that the city isn't getting it's fair share of water. The plaintiffs say the corps is mainly looking after Atlanta's interests, at the expense of other downstream users.

Clifton Fey, an attorney for the City Council, says they will discuss the issue: “The Water Works and the City Council here in Columbus are going to take all necessary steps to protect the interests of all Columbus water users, and those of people downstream. It will be on the Columbus City Council agenda next week.”

Georgia, Florida and Alabama filed four similar lawsuits in US district Court in March. But the Water Works say those suits do not adequately represent Columbus's interests.

Dust-up over coal-fired power plant

Environmental groups opened a legal challenge in Atlanta today to halt the construction of a new coal-fired power plant in southwest Georgia.

A coalition of activists are challenging a Georgia Environmental Division permit for the 1,200-megawatt facility in Early County, on the banks of the Chattahoochee River. The appeal, submitted by the Sierra Club and residents of Early County opposing the plant, temporarily stays the permit.

The groups claim the permit violates the Georgia Air Quality act and the federal Clean Air act.

“If this coal plant is built, we will have to breathe in even more pollution that is swept in by the winds from south Georgia.” said Justine Thompson of the Center for Law in the Public Interest.

“We have enough pollution in Georgia, and truth be told – we have enough power,” Thompson told reporters at the capitol.

“Dynegy will sell its power to other states, so Georgia will not get most of the power, Georgia will not get the profits – but Georgia will get the pollution,” she said.

Dynegy Inc., a Houston-based energy company, is planning and building the plant together with New Jersey-based LS Power.

The appeal outlines 17 legal reasons which the permit should be denied. It now goes to an administrative law judge.

(Susanna Capelouto)

Harris Cty. bans outside watering

The Harris County Water Works has placed a ban on all forms of outside water use until further notice.

The step comes one day after a public meeting in Columbus held by the Georgia State Environmental Protection Division, where the agency outlined a comprehensive state water management proposal.

Some 150 residents, state water officials and legislators commented on the plan, in a discussion session held at Columbus State University.

“I find that in the process of legislation, this is not a Republican or Democratic issue. This is an issue of those of us who are south of Atlanta and those that are north of Atlanta,” State Senator Seth Harp (R) told the group.

A series of local citizens and farmers, conservationists and eco-activists, business leaders, teachers and children cautioned against a part of the plan that would divert more water from the Chattahoochee River to Atlanta's growing needs, at the cost of downstream communities and ecosystems.

Tracy Spencer, board director of Chattahoochee River Watch said his group opposed so-called “inter-basin transfers,” saying they should not be considered an option in a statewide water plan.

The session is one of a series of meetings the State Environmental Protection Division is holding throughout Georgia.

The EPD wants to gather input and gauge the proposal's impact before a legislative vote on the plan next January.

Columbus, Phenix City accord: a river runs through it

Columbus and Phenix City have agreed to share water resources, despite the ongoing water war between Georgia, Alabama, and Florida.

Officials from both cities held a ceremony on Thursday on a bridge over the Chattahoochee River, marking the accord. A pipe siphoning water from the river just north of Columbus connects both cities’ systems.

Columbus uses about 30 million gallons of water daily. Phenix City uses far less daily – about six to eight million gallons.

The accord is meant to allow mutual aid in an emergency situation, like Katrina or terrorism.

Billy Turner, President of the Columbus Water Works, says that while the agreement has no bearing on the ongoing water war between the two states and Florida, it does show mutual goodwill.

”In some ways, people think the river divides us; but in Columbus and in Phenix City, we believe it’s what connects us.”

Turner says either city would be willing to supply the other with up to eight million gallons of water a day, in an emergency.

Phenix City plans to draw off about one million gallons a day in coming weeks, while they work on their water system.