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No real concern over the drought If you go to Atlanta, Ga. right now you might notice something. Most water fountains are not running. They're dry as a bone right now. Many irrigation systems have been shut off, and business and governmental insitutions are scaling back or cutting off their additional water uses as the state suffers through a drought that is draining its reservoirs. Of course, Alabama's reservoirs are also dropping and the Alabama, Coosa Tallapoosa river system has dropped dangerously low. But beyond fighting with Georgia and Florida over water resources, have our elected leaders from the state to local level done much to get Alabamians to use less water? Not much really. During the Thomasville city council meeting Tuesday night, Mayor Sheldon Day spoke about the drought, but would only say that "we'll cross that bridge when we get to it," when it comes to taking any serious measures to conserve water in our area, a region that relies on the Alabama River to meet our water needs. This statement seems to reflect the attitude of many elected officials in the state right now - we'll wait 'till we get there. Well who decides where there is and are we not there now? Meanwhile, Pine Hill officials are deeply concerned about water levels in the Alabama. Pine Hill owns and operates the water treatment plant that serves Thomasville. Mayor Harry Mason has repeatedly asked his residents to take voluntary measure to conserve water. If the folks at the source are concerned and trying to conserve, shouldn't the rest of us on the same water system? There's plenty of blame to go around at the higher levels for how we got here, the lack of comprehensive water usage plans in Georgia and Alabama being one.
And while a statewide focus on voluntary water conservation is no solution in itself to our water worries, it is a step in the right direction, so why aren't we taking it?
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