Georgia House Natural Resources Committee Listens to Advantages of Rainwater Collection

Major legislation to encourage water conservation seemed to Eddie Van Giesen the perfect opportunity for convincing policymakers to latch onto the idea of rainwater harvesting.

The soft-spoken Watkinsville resident signed up for his chance to speak before the House Natural Resources Committee when it held a hearing last month on the legislation championed by Gov. Sonny Perdue. When his turn came, he spoke excitedly on behalf of the Rainwater Harvesting Association of America about how 300 million gallons of water is available for use in Georgia per day by capturing rain.

Van Giesen is a registered lobbyist and policy coordinator for Blue Ridge Atlantic Enterprises, a North Carolina company that distributes and installs various water-conservation and rainwater devices. It has installed them in facilities like the Tate Student Center at the University of Georgia and Hotel Indigo in downtown Athens.

"Every time you flush a toilet with treated water, you waste money, energy and precious potable water," he said. "You might as well be choking the sewer system with dollar bills."

Use of rainwater for irrigation, laundry and even toilet flushing would save drinking water for critical uses and possibly answer metro Atlanta's supply shortage in light of a federal order prohibiting withdrawal from Lake Lanier starting in 2012. And the cost of such a reservoir, that's broken up into tanks at thousands of homes and office buildings, would be far cheaper and easier to construct than trying to duplicate Lake Lanier or pipe water from the Savannah River.

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Water Conservation in Atlanta Blog Launches

Water is a precious resource everywhere but it will play a crucial role in Atlanta and our ability to grow. The current water conservation is exciting and will create a new culture of conservation in our State. The bill has passed both the Georgia House and Senate and only waits on Governor Perdue's signature to become law.

This blog will be a source of information for consumers and business leaders on water conservation programs, resources and new ideas.