http://www.georgiawaterplanning.org/Files_PDF/Water_Planning_Regions_Map.pdf.

Region Council Members
http://gov.georgia.gov/00/press/detail/0,2668,78006749_132830663_133447192,00.html

Regional Water Planning
The 4 main regional water planning actions over the next three years include:

1. Resource Assessments;
2. Designations of Councils;
3. Rules and Guidance; and
4. Regional Water Development and Conservation Plans.

The initial 3-year budget is $35.8 million dollars and the amount of the Federal and State funds are:

Year	Federal	State	Total
2009	$6.9	$4.2	$11.1
2010	$7.4	$5.4	$12.8
2011	$7.1	$4.8	$11.9

The first year funding is secured by the Georgia Environmental Facilities Authority (GEFA) and other sources include:
Clean Water State Revolving Fund (Federal) = $3.07
Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (Federal) = $7.01
State appropriations (already in base) = $1.05

Overall implementation budget:
approximately $20 million for private sector contracts
approximately $8 million for inter-agency agreements
approximately $8 million for the State for water plan implementation

EPD has solicited private sector contracts for work in four main areas:
1) Assimilative Capacity Water Quality Modeling and Water Quality Standard Review - ($4-6 million)
2) Technical Guidance Documents - ($600,000 to $2,000,000 over two State fiscal years) – this will include guidance on Regional Water Planning; Water Conservation; Stormwater/ Green Infrastructure; Fertilizer Management Practices; and Return flows associated with Septic Systems and Land Application Systems (LAS).
3) Groundwater Resource Assessment - ($1.0 – 2.0 million)
4) Surface Water Availability Modeling and Technical Analyses - ($2.0 – $4.0 million)

Water Conservation Implementation Plan (WCIP)
Under "Water Demand Management Practices" section of the Statewide Water Plan, EPD is called on to develop a Water Conservation and Implementation Plan (WCIP). Additionally, the DNR Board is called on to consider rules based on the WCIP and the Regional Water Councils are called on to prepare their Regional Water Development and Conservation plans (the Regional Plans) to include the provisions in the WCIP.

Follow this link for materials related to the WCIP: http://www.georgiawcip.org

Jan. 08 - Water Plan Passed by Both Houses

Council Water Plan. As stated in earlier updates and alerts, the Water Council Water Plan has problems that need to be fixed. The Georgia Water Coalition will now work with the legislature to fix these problems through various legislative means:

Regional Planning Districts: The Water Plan districts are drawn along political boundaries instead of natural watershed boundaries. The Georgia Water Coalition will continue to work with legislators to get planning done along watershed boundaries.

Interbasin Transfers (IBTs): Current law provides no protection for downstream communities against IBTs; the director of EPD merely has to issue a press release before allowing such a transfer. The water plan only states that the Board of Natural Resources “should consider” amending its rules to state that EPD “should” consider certain factors related to transfers. The Georgia Water Coalition will work with legislators to get statutory fixes that will protect communities from Interbasin Transfers.

No requirements for conservation or efficiency: The water plan has few actual “requirements” and instead says that the state “should” or “may” pursue important conservation or efficiency tools. The Georgia Water Coalition will work with legislators to get mandatory requirements for conservation and efficiency.

The Georgia Water Coalition will continue to work with legislators to deal with these critical issues to protect rivers, communities, and our future water supply.

Click here to see how your legislators voted on the water plan:
House: www.legis.ga.gov/legis/2007_08/votes/hv0497.htm
Senate: www.legis.ga.gov/legis/2007_08/votes/sv0520.htm

GWC Factsheet on the draft statewide water plan

Timeline of Past Events

GWC Comments on the Draft Plan - 12/12/07On June 28, 2007 the Water Council met to formally receive the draft water plan from EPD.  

GWC Comment Letter to the Georgia Water Council- 8/07

Georgia Attorney General Thurbert Baker's letter to Dr. Carol Couch stating his opinion that the Comprehensive Statewide Water Management Plan should not be promulgated as a rule (August 21, 2007).

A Revised Draft Comprehensive Statewide Water Management Plan was issued September 13, 2007.

Water Plan changes approved by the Water Council on 11/06/07

Public Comment
The public comment period was December 3-13, 2007. The public hearing phase began in October. EPD hosted a second round of town hall meetings December 10-12. For a list of the hearing locations and dates click here.   The Water council met in December to approve revisions and in January to act on the final draft of the statewide water plan. You can review comments submitted on the plan at www.georgiawaterplan.org.