Are water reservoirs a good idea?

For decades, Georgia, Alabama and Florida have not been able to figure out how to share water. The tri-state water wars have prompted many state leaders to get behind reservoirs as a solution. A new coalition is questioning that approach.

In the past, top state officials have said Georgia needs more reservoirs so the state would no longer miss out on rainfall that it could capture and reuse.

Billy Hall argues there’s a problem with that theory. Hall, the CEO of Atlanta-based environmental law firm New Fields, says the theory is based on the argument that Georgia doesn’t have enough water.

“The problem is not, per se, water supply,” Hall said. “The problem is we want to provide quality of life and a sound economy for both current generations and future generations.”

Hall is a part of a coalition called Smart Water Grid. The collective says water plays a key role in Georgia’s economic and quality of life issues.

Hall says Smart Water Grid hopes to discover a better way to distribute Georgia’s current water supply… and present that plan to state and local leaders.