Civic League's "Water Sustains All" 3/8/12 | ATL CrossroadsATL Crossroads

Civic League’s “Water Sustains All” 3/8/12

The Civic League for Regional Atlanta holds quarterly sessions on metro Atlanta’s big issues. The Civic League calls these the “Movers, Shakers & Policymakers Briefings.” On March 8, 2012, the Civic League hosted Water Sustains All, with speakers from eight organizations working to address regional water supply and water quality, including the Metropolitan North Georgia Water Planning District, Upper Chattahoochee Riverkeeper and US Environmental Protection Agency.

See AtlCrossroads’ Video Recap of the Water Sustains All forum, Photo Gallery and Audio Interviews below. You can also read our full-length Reading Recap of the forum, with a primer on Georgia and Metro Atlanta’s water issues, by clicking here.

VIDEO RECAP, 7 minutes (by Matt McWilliams)

PHOTO GALLERY (all photos by Matt McWilliams):

: ROB MCDOWELL, Carl Vinson Institute of Government policy program director, discusses the region’s water challenges at The Civic League of Regional Atlanta’s recent “Water Sustains All” policy forum. McDowell notes that metro Atlanta can never separate itself from south Georgia, if it wants to get serious about water policy.

: SALLY SEARS, South Fork Conservancy director, facilitates the policy conversation at the March 8 forum.

: DOUG MENDRICK, EPA Region 4 deputy director, outlines the region’s traditional challenges and the measures the region has taken to modernize its sewer and water infrastructure to limit discharges into the Chattahoochee River and Flint River Basin

: WILTON ROOKS, ACF Stakeholders executive committee chair. The ACF brings together a wide range of stakeholders to develop collaborative policy solutions regarding the Appalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint watershed.

: Participants at the March 8 “Water Sustains All” policy forum review the program agenda during a panel discussion.

: BOB KERR, South Fork Conservancy chair, urges bold measures to ensure region increases water supply to meet population projections. According to Kerr, the region already utilizes interbasin transfers to meet demand and suggests that strategic use of IBTs can continue to be a part of efforts to modernize the region’s water policy.

: SALLY BETHEA, Upper Chattahoochee Riverkeeper founding director, responds to an audience question at the recent Civic League for Regional Atlanta Water Sustains All forum. The organization’s 1995 lawsuit compelled the City of Atlanta to undertake a comprehensive sewer upgrade initiative.