Over the long-term, outdoor watering, while having an impact at this time each year, is only one of the practices that is moving the region to the verge of a water crisis. Throughout the Atlanta metro area, the effects of population growth are seen every day. When more people move into an area, a host of new building must occur to support that growth -- housing, roads, shopping areas, schools and commercial facilities. Not only is land disturbed when development occurs, but the water supply in the region is stressed during the building process and by the need to supply water to the occupants of all the new development.

The Future

The Atlanta metro area is one of the fastest growing metropolitan areas in the United States, with much of the construction growth occurring north of the city, which is also where much of the water supply for Atlanta comes from. The population of the metro area has more than quadrupled from the one million residents in 1950 to more than four million today, with no slowdown in sight. The Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce states that, “The region is now home to more than half the state’s population. An estimated 2.3 million new people and 1.7 million new jobs are expected over the next 25 years -- equivalent to the population of Greater Denver moving to the region.”

The question for residents, business and political leaders, planners and building industry professionals alike, is how do we safeguard our water and other resources, while creating the residences and workplaces that will be needed by the millions of new arrivals?

Why it matters

An area’s topography, literally the lay of the land, determines how water resources are affected by development. Large-scale development means that significant amounts of land are cleared and graded for building sites. If the land slopes, as most of the metro area’s hilly landscape does, the soil is likely to erode easily and water quality can be negatively effected. Eroded soil from construction sites is carried to streams and lakes where it can harm aquatic life, increase water-treatment costs, and make the water less useful for recreation. In addition, sedimentation clogs drainage ditches, stream channels, water intakes, reservoirs and destroys aquatic habitats. So population growth and subsequent development, besides requiring more of the area’s water to meet the need of the increased population, can also deteriorate the quality of the water that is available.

Much of the rainfall in sparsely developed areas throughout the south is absorbed into the soil to be stored as ground water. Thus, in many rural areas, because of the presence of forests and pastures, much of the rainfall does not enter streams all at once, which helps prevent flooding and erosion.

When areas are urbanized, much of the vegetation and topsoil is replaced by impervious surfaces such as roads, parking lots and pavement. When natural land is altered, rainfall that used to be absorbed into the ground now must be collected by storm sewers that send the water runoff into local streams, which might be unable to handle large amounts of water over a short period of time. This excessive urban runoff can harm streams in a number of ways. For instance, water running off impervious areas, such as roads and parking lots, can contain contaminants, such as oil and garbage. This runoff and accompanying pollution often goes directly into streams. In addition, during summer storms, runoff from heated roads and parking lots can cause a rapid increase in stream temperatures, which can result in thermal shock, and death in many fish.

Locally adopted regulations and incentives combined with green building programs that encourage the creation of green space, use of native plants and xeriscaping and the reduction of impervious surfaces, can lessen the damage that contaminants do to stream. The use of pervious concrete and water retention strategies can limit the amount of damage inflicted by the built environment on our water resources. New developments that are built in such a way that water resources are safeguarded, where both indoor and outdoor water use is limited to the minimum necessary to care for the inhabitants and protect green space, will play an important role in ensuring adequate water resources for the future of the Atlanta region. Development criteria, like those included in the EarthCraft Communities or the USGBC’s LEED for Neighborhood Development (LEED-ND) could play a significant role in managing Atlanta’s water for the future. But it will take an increased awareness on the part of all Atlantans, current and future, to make a long-term difference.

Atlanta Water Facts

Most of the time, there is plenty of water. Georgia receives about 50 inches of rain each year. But long periods without rain result in low flow in rivers and low lake levels. Our water strategies must focus on making sure there is enough water in the rivers and lakes during dry times and droughts.

• 98 percent of the Atlanta region’s supply comes from surface water.
• The Atlanta region is located in the headwaters of its rivers.
• The Chattahoochee River is the smallest river in the nation serving as the major source of water for a region of this size.
• There are very limited opportunities for more reservoirs within the region. A notable exception, Westside Park, a proposed Beltline project, on the site of a former quarry on the City of Atlanta’s western border, could be developed into a major reservoir, providing recreation, wildlife habitat and drinking water for the growing city.

Source:16-county Metro N. Ga. Water Planning District