Georgia Water Coalition
SELC a Leader in Protecting Georgia's Waters
Stormwater Enforcement Guide for Georgia
As development increases in Georgia’s metro areas, so does stormwater pollution—the runoff that picks up mud and debris from construction sites and oil and other chemicals from paved surfaces and washes them into rivers, lakes, and streams. To help our local partner groups in Georgia better understand the legal and regulatory tools available for combating this problem, SELC has developed a stormwater enforcement guide.
In a clear and coherent format, our guidebook
- Explains the various levels of regulatory authority―federal, state, and local;
- Lays out the relevant acts, regulations, and permits that come under each of these authorities;
- Reveals where there are overlaps and weaknesses in regulation and enforcement; and
- Shows how to make effective use of the laws and regulations now available.
In 2008, SELC’s water experts succeeded in strengthening Georgia’s statewide permits for stormwater discharges from construction sites. Among the improvements we helped secure are measures to prevent runoff from further damaging already impaired waters.
Case Summary
The Georgia Water Coalition was founded in 2002 by SELC and three other groups – the Upper Chattahoochee Riverkeeper, Georgia Conservancy and Georgia Wildlife Federation. By joining forces, the coalition has quickly become a powerful advocate at all levels across the state for protecting rivers, lakes, groundwater, wetlands and other water resources.
Now with more than 170 member groups, the coalition has made remarkable progress toward its goal of maintaining Georgia’s waters as a public resource, and of bringing about comprehensive water resource planning and management that ensure a clean and plentiful supply of water while protecting aquatic habitat and recreational values.
Past Victories
In 2003, the coalition helped defeat legislation that would have privatized Georgia’s water resources and led to the marketing and sale of water to the highest bidder. In 2004, the coalition secured legislation that, for the first time ever in Georgia, mandates state-wide water planning. The Coalition and its members have also won legislative victories protecting drinking water supplies, securing drought management planning, and securing tax credits for wise resource stewardship.
Current Action
The Georgia Water Coalition is now participating in the planning process to promote sound policies that accommodate human needs and the environment. The legal underpinnings of these policies will have a profound effect on the future of water management in Georgia. SELC, which directs the legal components of the coalition’s work, is focused on ensuring that the regulatory framework includes protections for in-stream flow and aquatic biodiversity along with requirements for conservation, among other considerations. We are also focused on securing more regulation of transferring water between river basins.
Future Plans
Our attention now turns to implementation of the Georgia Statewide Water Management Plan at the regional and local level, with a goal to ensure the plan is fully funded and properly implemented to protect waterways across Georgia.