Shipp: Water crisis is a failure of state's leadership

Bill Shipp writes:

Of all the crises endured by our state over the past century, none was more predictable than running out of water.

Since Atlanta's boom began in the 1950s, experts have known - and said in writing - north Georgia's water supply was limited. They said action should be taken immediately to conserve water and extend the water supply. Development could not continue indefinitely without solving the onrushing water shortage.

Before the current drought ever started, the water-shortage train was on the track and headed full speed toward us. Unbridled development was simply more than two medium-sized multipurpose reservoirs and a couple of creek-sized rivers could take.

When Sonny Perdue was elected governor in 2002, Georgia leaders appeared serious about the need for a state water-supply plan. There was a plan in place to build reservoirs controlled by the state that would be set aside solely for drinking water reserves. They would not be subject to the water release mandates imposed on the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The 2003 session of the General Assembly already had been deemed "the year of water," when leaders in government, business and the environmental community were going to cooperate to solve Georgia's coming water crisis.

Needless to say, once Perdue took office, that effort never happened.

When the crowd at the statehouse starts jumping up and down about the corps three months before we run out of water, it seems more like they're hunting for scapegoats than attempting to solve our water problem.

So here we sit, watching our available drinking water drain away and praying for rain. Even if God cooperates and we don't run out of water this time, remember this: There's no excuse for the predicament we're in now.

While Perdue wheeled and dealed in land speculation with political appointees, raised tens of millions in campaign contributions and took lots of overseas trips, nothing was done to ensure that our government would meet the basic obligation of supplying drinking water to its population. While our state legislators played politics and chased skirts, none of them pushed for a solution to our water crisis.

So don't buy any spin from our politicians about how they're taking action.

We're relying on God's grace and luck to save us now.

We also are witnessing a dress rehearsal for coming events - a bone-dry region that will wither unless we elect strong leaders ready and willing to show us the way out of the coming desert.