Sandy Sanders
The Valdosta Daily Times
VALDOSTA —
We take water for granted. Even during past droughts, water has been plentiful. Homeowners had to curtail lawn watering, but the region still had plenty of water for drinking, showers, and other necessities.
This week’s Suwannee-Satilla Regional Water Planning meeting in Waycross serves as a reminder that we shouldn’t take our water for granted. The council formed to discuss these matters hopes to develop plans that will keep water plentiful and flowing in the region.
As today’s Times story on the water meeting notes, Lowndes County is included along with 15 other South Georgia counties in the Suwannee-Satilla water region.
The Sept. 2 Waycross meeting at Okefenokee Technical College will discuss our region’s part in the Comprehensive Statewide Water Management Plan Implementation.
The council has determined the state and region’s needs for the next 40 years.
Now, it must develop the plan to meet those growing needs through 2050.
Planning now will be crucial to meeting those needs. The council notes that people haven’t shown much interest in the water meetings.
That needs to change.
As we have learned on many levels during the past few years, you can’t take anything for granted: the economy, jobs, housing, security. Now, water.
We should plan now, participate now. We cannot afford apathy regarding our water.
No one wants the day to arrive when a twist of the faucet becomes a meaningless act.
For more information about the meeting or about the Georgia State Water Plan, go to www.gawaterplanning.org or e-mail info@georgiawaterplanning.org.
