Latest News : Interbasin Transfer regulations failed to gain approval in the Georgia General Assembly during the 2011 session.

Four different bills that proposed better regulations of interbasin transfers of water were introduced in the 2011 legislative session, but unfortunately none of the bills were even allowed to move out of committee.

The Georgia Water Coalition was disappointed that these proposals didn't receive a fair hearing at the Capitol, and we will continue to push for meaningful, appropriate regulations of interbasin water transfers in Georgia.

Learn more: Read the GWC's briefing document on IBTs.

And be sure visit the No Water Grabs website and sign the petition to show your support for meaningful regulation of interbasin transfers in Georgia -- details below.

“No Water Grabs” Petition
More than 2800 Georgians have now signed the petition www.nowatergrabs.com. We need your help to get even more.

Here is how YOU can help:
1. Sign the petition yourself at www.nowatergrabs.com
2. Send a message to your members and board members and ask them to sign on. Contact April Ingle at ingle@garivers.org if you need a sample message.
3. Post the petition on your website. Click the link on the bottom of www.nowatergrabs.com to embed the petition on your website.
4. Post the petition on your Facebook pages and ask your friends and supporters to do the same.

 

Background Information on Interbasin Transfers:

Georgia's river systems and aquifers support its communities, local and regional economies, and diverse ecosystems. Maintaining natural flows throughout Georgia to the maximum extent practicable is essential for the overall health of its water resources and the economies that depend on them. However, because the majority of Georgia's residents are not located where Georgia's water is, some special interests want to pipe or transfer the abundant water resources of Georgia's smaller cities to Metro Atlanta to support that region's continued economic growth. This process is usually referred to as an "interbasin transfer" (IBT) because water is moved by pipe from one river basin to another, and not returned.

Interbasin transfers create conflicts among communities because water removed from a river and not returned is no longer available to sustain the economies of downstream communities or protect the health of the river and the wildlife that depend upon it. The volume of water being transferred from one basin to another can vary from year to year. During times of drought, IBTs will typically be greater in volume than in rainy years.

Interbasin transfers currently take place in many parts of the state but most notably on the Chattahoochee, Flint and Coosa rivers. Data from the Georgia Environmental Protection Division show that in 2008, the Chattahoochee lost a net of 47.7 million gallons each day (MGD) while the Flint lost 11 MGD and the Coosa lost 10.2 MGD. These numbers reflect the amounts that were actually transferred and not the amounts permitted by EPD for future transfers, which are higher. The extent of IBTs in Georgia and the problems associated with them point to the need for more regulation and oversight.

Click here to view information from Georgia EPD on existing interbasin water transfers in Georgia (as of 2009).