The Georgia Water Planning Workshop is a first collaboration between the Georgia Association of Water Professionals and the Georgia Chapter of the American Planning Association. The Workshop will cover a range of topics and is divided into two parts. The fist part of the Workshop includes an historical overview of water in Georgia, specifically focused on how water has facilitated growth and development throughout the State over time. A summary overview of the how water, wastewater, and stormwater infrastructure is built, operated and maintained will then be presented for purposes of putting into context, the issues and variables that affect water/wastewater/stormwater managers. The first part will be wrapped up with a presentation of the water situation facing Georgia today, with specific attention on recent legislation and how water supply/quality could impact future growth and development.

The second part of the Workshop includes a group of speakers (some Planners and some water/wastewater/stormwater managers) who will outline their experiences of how Planners and water/wastewater/stormwater managers work together to make growth and development decisions. A panel of speakers will then answer questions and present their views on better ways for Planners and water/wastewater/stormwater managers to work together to grow and develop our living spaces more sustainably.

Session I: Georgia’s Water History (Presented by Jack Dozier)
Session I will provide a brief review of water in Georgia, specifically focused on how water has facilitated growth and development throughout the State over time. This presentation will include a discussion of the evolution of environmental legislation, what inspired that legislation, and how it in turn changed our approach to growth. The presentation will highlight the need for environmental protection and economic growth to go hand-in-hand, and not one at the expense of the other, to enable us to enjoy a quality of life unparalleled at any time in history.

Session II: Water, Wastewater and Stormwater System Infrastructure (Presented by Pam Burnett and Ellen Heath)
Session II will provide an overview of how water, wastewater and stormwater infrastructure is built, operated, and maintained. Included in this session will be a presentation of the issues that water managers face including multi-jurisdictional watershed management, reduced water availability, higher energy costs, reduced revenues due to water conservation, more stringent water treatment regulations, and customer affordability/rate structures.

Session III: The Water Situation Today (Presented by Katie Kirkpatrick and David Ashley)
Session III will focus on the water situation facing Georgia today, with specific emphasis on water supply, water quality, and how water availability could impact future growth and development throughout the State. Included in this presentation is a discussion on the allocation of water among three competing states (Georgia, Alabama and Florida); the Judge Magnuson decision on the use of water from Lake Lanier; and the Statewide Water Plan, and what it means for Planners.

Session IV: Working with Planners (Janeane Giarrusso, Donna Joe, Garnett Brown, Mike Hopkins)
During Session IV, representatives from different water managers will present their experiences of how they work with Planning and Development Departments both on a daily and long term planning basis. Examples of “what works” and “what doesn’t work” when collaborating among land use planners and infrastructure providers will be presented. Examples of multi-departmental coordination and collaboration will be presented as a model for sustainable water infrastructure development.

Session V: Collaboration Opportunities for a More Sustainable Future (Panel of Speakers from previous Sessions)
A panel of speakers from the previous Sessions will answer questions from the audience and present their views on opportunities for Planners and water managers to work better together. Some uestions that will be raised to facilitate discussion include:

1. How frequently should Planners and water managers interact?
2. What land use regulations/policies can help provide for a more sustainable water development pattern?
3. The cost of energy is a water manager’s biggest cost; how can we facilitate more sustainable infrastructure energy development patterns?

Is concurrency planning a model for Georgia?

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