The thought may seem odd, but it looks to me like the United States could sure use a hurricane right about now. Even a tropical storm or two would do. Right now, the majority of land in the southeastern United States is suffering from either severe or exceptional drought — the U.S. Drought Monitor’s two highest classifications for water deficits.
The issues being debated in that area of the country and others that remain at the mercy of uncaring weather patterns serve as an excellent primer on problems that states across the nation may have to deal with as water supplies become increasingly stressed.
The situation around Atlanta, Georgia shows the consequences of what can happen to a large metropolitan area suffering from extreme drought. The reservoir that supplies the city with nearly all of its drinking water, Lake Lanier, is running dry. A two-year drought that has plagued the region has now resulted in this sorry state of affairs. Georgia’s Environmental Protection Division says that Lake Lanier’s supply of drinking water could exhaust itself within the next 81 days. Furthermore, the exhaustion of Lake Lanier will threaten power plants and industries downstream from the reservoir that depend on the flow of water from it to operate, not to mention the river’s ecosystem.
Unsurprisingly, there is a clear ripple affect throughout society. As outflow from the reservoir decreases, industry and power generation downstream will fall as well. As the reservoir falls, citizens and businesses within Atlanta itself will face cuts far beyond the restrictions on lawn-watering and recreational use already in place. Without even looking at the devastation this drought has already caused for farmers in the area, the water shortage will clearly cause a big economic impact.
The consequences of the situation in the Atlanta region are not isolated. North Carolina, South Carolina, Alabama and Tennessee are all facing similar problems. Across the Southeast, reservoir and river levels are dropping. Many other communities could soon face situations as dangerous as Atlanta’s with a massive economic toll.
The drought in the Southeast, traditionally a wet area of the country, should serve as a wakeup call. Here in Wisconsin, we could face some of the same problems, yet it seems water issues are often overlooked. Part of this is no doubt due to the fact that the state sits next to two of the largest bodies of freshwater in the world. However, if the state does end up facing an extended drought as severe as the drought in the Southeast, there will be major problems.
The biggest problem relates to the usage of aquifers as a water source. A report commissioned in 2002 for the municipal and wastewater industry cites declining aquifers in Dane County, the Fox River Valley and western Milwaukee suburbs as key problems. Increases in demand are placing stress on these aquifers, which cannot replenish themselves as fast as they are being drawn down. The demand problem will undoubtedly be compounded as Wisconsin’s population continues to grow. If a prolonged and severe drought does strike, will these aquifers be able to keep up with demand? I have my doubts.
The report outlines some possible solutions to the problem. Obviously, municipalities could switch over to using river water or pipe it in from Lake Michigan. However, both solutions have further problems. River levels will undoubtedly already have been affected by the drought and taking water out of them will only compound the stress they are under. Furthermore, it may impact industries or power plants that depend on the river water for operation, potentially setting up some very nasty fights.
A commonsense look also reveals plenty of problems with getting water from Lake Michigan to any place more than a small distance inland. The distance between Madison and Milwaukee is more than 70 miles. Now imagine building a pipeline to pump water that far. Not only would the pipeline be expensive to build, but it would be expensive to operate and maintain. How much more expensive is yet to be determined, but it is certainly much more so than pumping water from an aquifer.
The situation in the Southeast shows what happens when you get caught by surprise. Whether we use education to encourage greater conservation, the use of new technologies to reduce inefficiency, build a new pipeline or whatever other solutions present themselves, they all have one thing in common: They should start sooner rather than later.
Andrew Wagner ([email protected]) is a junior majoring in history and political science.
