Efficiency First

Clean water is our birthright, the lifeblood for a way of life enjoyed by many. Georgia faces unprecedented challenges to its clean water supply. The increased frequency and duration of drought and a growing population are putting new strains on communities and our limited water resources. The pressing question is, “How must we act now to ensure enough clean, safe, reliable water for current and future generations?”

Instead of continuing to waste time and money on litigation and massive storage proposals, we must implement the fastest, least expensive measures to leverage our water resources to go farther and be more productive.  By using less water and being more efficient in what we do use, we can ensure we have enough affordable clean water for our families, neighbors and businesses.

Specifically, we urge the General Assembly to champion modern solutions to secure our water supply, such as (1) allowing property owners belonging to homeowners’ associations to plant drought-tolerant landscaping (also called xeriscaping); (2) requiring new multi-family residential buildings to install meters on each unit to more accurately measure and charge for water consumption; and (3) making outdoor watering restrictions easier to understand and permanent as necessary.