Water thefts already occuring (Atlanta)

[donsu]

http://www.atlantawatershortage.com/


It seems a bit premature for this, but 11Alive has a story of a DeKalb business that was getting water stolen from one of their outside faucets.

Apparently, trucks with water tanks would park outside of Gary’s Auto Shop on the weekends and fill up using water from their front faucet.

At this point, I can’t figure out what the motive is. Water prices haven’t gone up (though they should) and no one has run out yet. I certainly expect we’ll see more of this in the coming months, but I’m surprised to see it happening already.
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and


17 ft. to go to reach the "dead pool"


New record low for Lanier
November 19th, 2007
About an hour ago, Lake Lanier reached its lowest level since it was first created in the 1950’s.

The previous low of 1052.66 feet was set in December, 1981. As of right now, the lake is sitting at 1052.64 feet.

We’ve still got about 17 feet to go until the “dead pool” at 1035 feet, but we continue to move in that direction. CBS News had a recent story about what it would mean for us in terms of purification if we reach that level.
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it's amazing that a huge city is about to run out of water and mostly the reaction is ho hum.

[Uncle Joe]

1. I figure it's either speculation, panic, or somebody wants to fill their pool

or pond up on the cheap.

Thanks for the thread, donsu.

[northernsoul]

3. I vote for speculation/panic

Granted, I live in Minnesota so my perspective is skewed, but are there really people in Georgia who worry about filling their pools in late November?

[Uncle Joe]

5. You make a good point, of course

it could be a pond for a farm.

[Matariki]

12. It's that guy with the house

you know, the one that used 440,000 gallons of water in October.

[Uncle Joe]

14. I believe I heard on the news, that he had apologized and would

curtail his massive use of water, but you never know.

[Matariki]

15. heh - a water addict

I was joking btw.

[Uncle Joe]

16. I thought so,

I was using a bit of tongue in cheek as well.:hi:

[northernsoul]

2. Thanks for the update

I think this story is criminally under-reported in the national media. I fear that the American Water Wars are beginning.

[HereSince1628]

4. I well remember the "let them freeze in the dark" statements

from the south back in the 70's energy crises. On top of the rest of the worsening economics it was overly hurtful.

It's an ill-mind that holds such grudges.

Nonetheless, I can imagine a very well watered northern media just ignoring the problem because it isn't "their" problem.

[KamaAina]

9. CNN is *based* in Atlanta

they could just send trucks out to this place and film the water thefts if they wanted to.

Instead, :boring: :boring: :boring: .

[HereSince1628]

18. Yes, because it won't sell advertising. No one outside of the area

of the drought really cares. Short sighted, maybe. Grudge holding? Maybe. It shouldn't be that way, but it is.

Atlanta showed no sympathy as the migration of jobs swept the economy from northern states. I don't think it's right to hold such grudges, but people living on both sides of me do in fact hold such grudges.

And I can add a bit of advice from here, also, ... Don't look at the Great Lakes as a possible solution. There are international agreements that prevent people as close as 5 miles from Lake Michigan from actually getting their drinking water from the lake.

If you want to drink the Great Lakes you must come back within the basin to do so. You should expect to bring your job with you because there aren't many here anymore--they went south a generation ago...

[phantom power]

6. Here's the damned thing...

What can they do? Sure, people can try to "conserve water," but the vast majority of the water is going toward agriculture, energy production and industry. So, any really meaningful water conservation amounts to:

a) letting crops die
b) deliberate brown-outs, or black-outs
c) closing up businesses

So, the preventative measures are essentially equivalent the consequence. They might as well wait it out, and hope it rains. Because if it doesn't, their crops will die, their energy will become unreliable and businesses will have to close.

Either way. It's a microcosm of the Global Goat Fuck. We are already in check-mate. There are no more "preventative measures."

[northernsoul]

17. Migration back to the Rust Belt?

I wonder if a nearer-term consequence of the wilting of the Sun Belt will be a return to the increasingly vacated industrial cities along the Great Lakes? I thought I heard something on public radio a few weeks ago regarding how the city of Flint, Michigan was selling abandoned houses for $1. Now I know that Flint ain't exactly paradise, but it does have water (for now). Will we see thirsty Sun Belters make an exodus for Duluth, Milwaukee, Detroit, Cleveland, Erie, and Buffalo?

[phantom power]

19. I think some of that will happen. But the Great Lakes are drying up too.

So you have to wonder what's going to happen if another 50 million people or so suddenly show up in the north-east, looking for food, water and shelter and jobs.

[BadgerLaw2010]

20. More people *in* the basin doesn't drain a drop. The only problem is diversions.

[lame54]

7. "If it's brown flush it down, if it's yellow let it mellow."

[soothsayer]

8. In the morning you go gunning for the man who stole your water

And you fire 'till he is done in, but they catch you at the border,
And the mourners are all singin' as they drag you by your feet,
But the hangman isn't hanging, and they put you on the street.

go back, jack, do it again

[JVS]

10. Steely Dan proves prophetic

[RestoreGore]

11. It will only be news when someone gets hurt

[mdmc]

13. thank you for this water link

R

[GreenPartyVoter]

21. "it's amazing that a huge city is about to run out of water and mostly the reaction is ho hum."

"S.E.P. Somebody else's problem. As long as it isn't happening to me, whatever."

That's what I think is going on.

[DFW]

22. Why worry?

The governor of the state has already been in contact with God over the issue,
and has guaranteed that all will be well, right?

[northernsoul]

23. Yep, that usually fixes everything

Just ask the members of Jim Jones' People's Temple.

What's that? They're all dead? Wow, how did that happen?

[DFW]

24. I dunno, but Gov. Perdue probably thinks God wanted that, too

[ProdigalJunkMail]

25. water thefts of various sorts have been occuring in ATL,

and elsewhere to be sure, for years...heck I have seen this sort of thing quite a bit. But NOW people are paying attention and turning in the thieves. Just the other day I saw a black-and-white with lights flashing pull in behind a landscaper's water truck that was hooked up to a city fire hydrant...wonder what the fine for that will be?

sP