Lack Of Foresight Hung Atlanta Up To Dry

"Despite ample warnings and dire predictions over the last four decades, metro Atlanta has continued to grow even as it repeatedly failed to guarantee it would have enough water to satisfy its long term needs.

Every drought — including the current one — reminds officials how risky the area's water future is.

Abandoned by wavering political attention, shortchanged on money, hamstrung by environmental concerns and stymied by focus on a tri-state water war, potential solutions have died or gone uncompleted.

Even if officials started the process of creating new drinking water resources today, it could take years to get done. Planning for and getting the permit to build a reservoir can take a decade and a half. Some communities have launched water projects on their own or with nearby neighbors, but the results often have been piecemeal."