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Contact Jennette Gayer
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Landmark Water Efficiency Bill Passes House and Senate
Atlanta, GA—By a vote of 166 to 5 the Georgia House of
Representatives passed HB 1094, legislation to encourage, and in some cases
enforce, water efficiency in Georgia. Identical legislation (SB 209) had
passed the Senate unanimously earlier in the week.
“From both an economic and environmental perspective water
conservation makes tremendous sense,” said Jennette Gayer, Policy Advocate with
Environment Georgia. “Enacting effective water conservation measures will boost
our water supply more quickly, cheaply and without the environmental and social
implications of damming Georgia’s
rivers.”
Among other things the bill includes provisions that will
require new buildings to incorporate appliances and fixtures that use less
water and new multi-tenant buildings will have to meter tenant’s water use
separately to encourage conservation. HB 1094 and SB 209 also include the first
permanent ban on residential outdoor watering from 10am to 4pm, a move that
saves water by avoiding watering when evaporation is most likely to occur.
Unfortunately, the bill also
includes a provision that will make it harder for local governments to take
steps to be more water efficient and it stops short of minimizing the use of
energy providers and agricultural users, the two biggest water users in the
state.
“We applaud the Governor and
State Legislature for taking this important first step towards greater water
efficiency and conservation,” said Gayer. “Hopefully this is the start of a new
era in Georgia—rather
than scrambling when the next drought hits the southeast we can be leaders in
smart and efficient water use.”
