Updated plans for the Metropolitan North Georgia Water Planning District

Abstract

The Metropolitan North Georgia Water Planning District was created by the Georgia General Assembly in 2001 to establish policy, create plans and promote regional coordination of water issues in metro Atlanta. In 2003 the Metro Water District adopted its first set of integrated regional water plans: 1) Watershed Management Plan, 2) Long-term Wastewater Management Plan and 3) Water Supply and Water Conservation Management Plan. These plans have been actively implemented by local governments in the 15-county region over the past five years. The plans are required to be updated every five years and the Metro Water District anticipates adopting updated plans in early 2009. The updated plans will help manage the region’s water resources through the year 2035. A panel of Metro Water District staff will present each of the three updated plans, highlighting new required measures for local governments and additional regional and state policy recommendations. Staff will also provide insight on the opportunities and challenges of managing a regional planning process that involved hundreds of stakeholders.