| Water is a staple in our daily lives. We use it for drinking, washing our clothes, showering, watering our lawns and more. In the Atlanta Region, approximately 500 million gallons are used every day. The majority of this water (98 percent) comes from surface water sources, the most important being the Chattahoochee River/Lake Lanier and the Etowah River/Lake Allatoona, which together provide more than 85 percent of the region's total water supply.
Even though the Atlanta Region averages about 50 inches of rainfall each year, we are located near the headwaters of our rivers and streams, making them relatively small. Thus, we depend heavily on stormwater runoff from rainfall to replenish our water supply. Because of urban development, this runoff, and therefore, this water supply is affected by stormwater pollution.
Local governments, public water systems, the states, and EPA work together towards the goal of ensuring that all public water supplies are safe. Water suppliers use a variety of treatment processes to remove contaminants from drinking water. New laws requiring increased monitoring for pollutants in drinking water will cost the nation's water suppliers more than $40 million a year, according to estimates by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. As pollution continues to impact drinking water supplies, there will be continued efforts to test and treat contaminants, leading to increasing prices for clean and safe drinking water. |
