As drought strains water systems in Southeast, private supplies are in danger too

Each day, another alarming report of the record drought in the Southeast highlights the growing strain on public water systems throughout the region. (This Associated Press photo of Lake Lanier in Georgia says it all.) At the same time, the drought has other victims: rural residents who rely on private supplies of water such as ponds, springs and wells. These sources are drying up, too, and at just as fast.

In Putnam County, Tennessee, "city water" does not reach many households, and so these families are struggling to cope, reports the Herald-Citizen in Cookeville. Liz Engel writes that a 2005 Tennessee Valley Authority report found 110,000 households in Tennessee were without water service, and about 1,000 of those were in Putnam County. The drought conditions have drained the ponds, springs and wells that many of those residents relied upon for water; now many must haul water from neighboring towns to meet their needs.

Some in the area had waited for a pipeline to reach their property, but the project — which required $1 million in grants for 16 miles of pipe — stopped less than a mile short of their homes in 1999. (Read more)

In Georgia, the thirst for water has prompted homeowners and small businesses to shell out thousands of dollars to dig their own wells, reports the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Mary MacDonald writes that since water usage has been restricted, many are eager to pay drillers $10 to $14 per foot — and since wells around Atlanta need to be at least 400 feet deep, that equals a price tag of more than $4,000. Some Georgia communities, such as Lawrenceville and Rockdale County, are exploring digging new wells or reopening old ones. The trend largely is beyond the regulation of state's Environmental Protection Division, which only regulates wells that draw 100,00 gallons or more daily. (Read more)

The battle for water also has reignited some rural-urban conflicts across the South, especially in Georgia where metro Atlanta has sought more water to fill its needs. The Valdosta Daily Times editorialised, "Atlanta is a greedy, poorly designed behomoth (sic) of a city incapable of hearing the word 'no' and dealing with it." The editorial argued that while rural Georgians faced the drought, Atlanta did nothing and thus now needs to tap into South Georgia's water.