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Water wars summit set
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ATLANTA — Georgia must aggressively conserve water, expand reservoirs, reduce outdoor watering and upgrade plumbing systems, but even that might not be enough to head off a looming crisis over Atlanta’s water supply, members of a state water task force say.
The Governor’s Water Contingency Task Force met for third time Friday seeking an alternative to relying on Lake Lanier as the main water source for metro Atlanta. Georgia has been embroiled in a decades-long fight with Alabama and Florida over water rights, and a federal judge has given the three states and Congress until 2012 to reach an agreement.
“Conservation plays a very critical role in this going forward,” said John Brock, co-chair of the task force.
If the states fail to find a solution, Atlanta will see its water supply from Lake Lanier reduced dramatically. In July, a federal judge ruled that Georgia has little right to water from the reservoir.
Georgia is appealing the ruling as part of a multi-pronged strategy to address the state’s water crisis.
On Tuesday, the governors of Georgia, Florida and Alabama are expected to meet in a renewed effort to resolve the long-standing feud.
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