Drought relief legislation now law

Governor Sonny Perdue signed the Water Conservation and Drought Relief Act of 2008, SB 342. The legislation will expedite the construction of new reservoirs throughout the state.

The Water Conservation and Drought Relief Act of 2008 brings state agencies together to ease reservoir construction and expansion. The Environmental Protection Division (EPD) will assist local governments' efforts to expedite aspects of permitting for new reservoir applications. This legislation creates a Water Supply Division (WSD) and establishes the Georgia Reservoir Fund (GRF) within GEFA.

The WSD will assist local governments with the reservoir and water supply permitting process in coordination with EPD. The WSD may also plan, design, acquire, construct, operate, manage and maintain new reservoirs on behalf of local governments. The GRF will be used for allocating the reservoir and water system infrastructure funds recommended by the Governor and approved by the General Assembly.

Initial funding for the Georgia Reservoir Fund was included in the Amended FY 2008 and FY 2009 budgets. In the Amended FY 2008 budget, Governor Perdue recommended, and the General Assembly appropriated, $40 million in grants for local governments to develop reservoirs. In the FY 2009 budget, the Governor recommended, and the General Assembly approved, $30 million in loans for local governments.

The legislation also seeks to minimize government expansion by requiring the WSD to use existing staff and the private sector to fulfill its mission. One final provision of this legislation emphasizes the importance of water-efficient products by extending the same sales tax break to qualified water-saving items during the upcoming sales tax holiday.