Municipalities looking for ways to save water

By Dawn Treglown

CENTRE — In response to ongoing historic drought conditions expected to last through the winter months, local water authorities are prepared to begin asking residents across Cherokee County to conserve water whenever and wherever possible.

“We have the one ban in effect that's, Section A, Phase One of our conservation plan,” said Roy Alford, manager of Centre Water Works and Sewer Board. “There should be no hosing of sidewalks and driveways except where there's been a dangerous spill.”

Jeff Harrell, foreman for the Cedar Bluff Utility Board, said no bans or restrictions are currently in place for Cedar Bluff residents. However, he said the utility board is planning to implement some restrictions in the near future.

Throughout the summer, the Army Corps of Engineers and municipal water boards in Georgia have hoarded water supplies from Lake Allatoona in northwest Georgia, water that would otherwise flow into northeast Alabama.

Last week, in a letter to Col. Byron Jorns, Alabama Gov. Bob Riley accused Jorns and the Corps of failing to prevent the Cobb County-Marietta Water Board from conducting “illegal withdrawals” from Allatoona. Riley said the withdrawals by Cobb-Marietta, combined with the Corps' decision to prevent over 18 billion gallons of water from flowing downstream into the Coosa River in the spring and summer, have combined to exacerbate drought conditions in Weiss Lake and other reservoirs on the Coosa.

“Given that these reservoirs are already in much worse condition than Lake Allatoona, the additional fall in the levels at these projects that will result from your decisions put us in uncharted territory,” Riley wrote.

Last week, the Corps of Engineers announced plans to further reduce flows from Allatoona. The Corps has repeatedly denied siding with Georgia over Alabama in the decade-long battle of water resources, despite accusations from Riley, Alabama senators Richard Shelby and Jeff Sessions, Rep. Mike Rogers, and many others.

While that battle of words continues, Leesburg Mayor Edward Mackey said his city follows recommendations of Cherokee County Water and Sewer.

“We're involved with Cherokee County Water, but we probably need more people to realize that we need to conserve water,” Mackey said. “We're getting hurt on water right now.”

Sid Garrett, general manager of Cherokee County Water and Sewer, said his board last week began discussing measures to help conserve water in the area. He said no bans are in effect, but wanted everybody to be aware of the consequences if water conditions do not improve.

“We've not started to assert overage charges yet, but we are asking people to conserve water,” Garrett said. “We're asking people to not wash their cars or water their lawns.”

He said he hopes the community will work together to help conserve water supplies.

“The last thing we want to do is introduce fines or charges on people,” he said. “But the fact is that we're in the business to sell water. We all have to share.”

While water supplies are currently at safe levels, Alford said Centre is prepared if water conditions continue to take a turn for the worse.

“If the lake keeps dropping, we have an emergency pump to keep people supplied with water,” Alford said. He said pipes could be used to extend the pump to deeper areas of the lake, if needed.

Last week, during a conference call between officials from the Corps of Engineers, stakeholders such as Alabama Power, and congressional representatives from Alabama and Georgia, a spokesman warned that Corps projections through next spring indicate the drought will not break anytime soon.

“We foresee that the northern headwaters will remain dry,” a Corps spokesman said.

During the call, Alabama Power System Operations Supervisor Charles M. Stover said residents around Weiss Lake will be among the first to see how bad this year's drought eventually gets.

“Conditions on the Coosa system continue to deteriorate,” Stover said. “We will have to continue to bring down all of those projects, particularly Weiss Lake.”

A spokesman for the city of Rome, Ga. who participated in the conference call said officials there are already seeing Coosa River flows low enough to threaten the city's water supply. Also during the call, a representative from Gadsden informed Col. Jorns that he'd heard Centre may soon be faced to spend heavily for the pumps required to keep the city's water flowing if Weiss drops much further.

“I believe I read that the cost for the pumps they're looking at is around $25,000” he told the Corps. Last week, Alford confirmed that amount to The Post and said Centre water officials are willing to spend the money if it becomes necessary.

Garrett said he hopes to get the word out to Cherokee County about the importance of conserving water.

“We need to inform as many people as much as possible,” he said. “It makes a huge difference.”