Peak Water

Some of us worry about Peak Oil, but in the southeast of the United States there is a real and immediate concern about water. The city of Atlanta is down to less than a four month supply after the driest period in many, many years. A dry winter is in the forecast. Other southeastern towns are virtually dry and government is scrambling to try and find ways to at least provide drinking water. This article is a good summary. When Georgia Tech isn’t allowed to water their football field you know there is a serious problem in Georgia. We take gasoline and water for granted. Knowledgeable folks thought water problems would come first in a completely different part of the country. It’s a wonder the southwest is still able to fill all those swimming pools and canal decorated desert subdivisions. Some years ago I read a brilliant book called the Cadillac Desert which traced water development in the west. The author, Marc Reisner predicted bad times ahead for Arizona and other states relying on depleted acquifers and the Colorado River. It hasn’t happened there yet. But Reisner’s concerns still make sense to me. Yet who would have thought that Atlanta would have water shortages before Phoenix?