|
 In
a nutshell, SWAP is a program aimed at protecting
drinking water supplies at their source - rivers,
lakes, streams - all across Georgia. SWAP stands
for "source water assessment plan,"
and these plans are intended to identify potential
sources of pollution within a drinking water
supply's watershed (all the land area that drains
to a particular waterbody). By understanding
where these potential pollution sources are
located, plans can be made to effectively protect
public water supply sources from contamination
of upstream sources (urban and agricultural
run-off, accidental spills and releases from
businesses, direct discharges to waterways,
etc.).
What
areas are included in the Northeast Georgia
SWAP?
 The
Northeast Georgia Regional Development Center,
a state-funded resource center for local governments,
is managing the development of the SWAP plans
for 20 surface water intakes in the Upper Oconee
River Basin and Northeast Georgia region. The
participants include those public water systems
which utilize a surface water source (such as
a lake, river, or stream) and which are included
in the Northeast Georgia Regional Development
Center's service area.
| Participating
Water System Name |
No.
of intakes |
| Upper
Oconee River Basin region: |
|
| Athens-Clarke
County |
3 |
| City
of Jefferson |
1 |
| City
of Statham |
1 |
| City
of Winder |
3 |
| Upper
Oconee Basin |
2 |
|
|
| Other
Systems in RDC Service Area: |
|
| City
of Crawford |
1 |
| City
of Elberton |
2 |
| City
of Greensboro |
1 |
| City
of Madison |
2 |
| Monroe
Water Light & Gas |
1 |
| City
of Monticello |
2 |
| City
of Union Point |
1 |
|
A
Task Force has been developed to provide direction
to the Northeast Georgia SWAP and make decisions
on critical issues. The Task Force includes representatives
from the counties and public water systems participating
in the assessment. In addition, members of the
public interested in the outcome of the assessment,
including citizen's groups, regulatory representatives,
public officials, and business leaders will be
invited to participate in community meetings as
the project progresses.
The
Northeast Georgia region comprises twelve counties
(Barrow, Clarke, Elbert, Greene, Jackson, Jasper,
Madison, Morgan, Newton, Oconee, Oglethorpe,
and Walton) and 46 cities. It encompasses 3,623
square miles in the Piedmont region of northern
Georgia. The population is approximately 398,646,
according to 1998 Bureau of the Census estimates.
Most of the area is rural, with population densities
as low as 26 persons per square mile. However,
the central metropolitan area, Athens-Clarke
County, has a density of 750 persons per square
mile and other counties, notably Jackson, Barrow,
Walton, Oconee, and Newton, are rapidly developing
as urbanized areas.
Most
of the region is drained by three river systems.
The Savannah River and its tributary, the Broad
River, drain most of Elbert, Madison, and Oglethorpe
counties. The Oconee River drains the central
portion, including all or most of Barrow, Clarke,
Greene, Jackson, Jasper, Morgan, Oconee, and
Walton counties. Portions of Walton, Newton,
and Jasper counties are drained by the Alcovy
River (a tributary of the Ocmulgee River) and
tributaries of the Yellow River. Hall, Gwinnett,
and Hart counties also contribute to the drainage
area upstream from intakes in the region. There
are 25 surface water supply intakes in the region.
Five of them are being studied in other projects
and are not part of this project. Ten of them
are in the Upper Oconee River Basin, and their
watersheds substantially overlap. The remaining
ten are scattered throughout the rest of the
region.
For
a map of the area included in the Source Water
Assessment, click here
|
