I was in Tampa last Thursday and Friday and happened to pick up a regional newpaper to read at breakfast. What do you think is on the front page? Articles about water. The first one was about Tennessee. I am sure you have already heard about Orme, TN.
Orme has actually run out of water. Their water source was a mountain stream that is now dry and the mayor has the local fire engine make daily trips to Alabama (of all places) to haul water to the city’s tank. The mayor turns the value at 6 pm and the residents cook, wash, bath and save some water for the next day. At 9 pm he closes the valve and everyone waits to repeat the exercise 24 hours later.
But when it comes to Florida, it seems they are way ahead of us when it comes to being concerned about water. They seem to be seriously considering pumping water from rivers like the St. Johns, to the overdeveloped central Florida (Disney World). Ocala is talking about water.
I guess Florida still has water in its rivers and lakes!
But it appears that only Woodstock, GA, takes the water challenge seriously. Recently, it held a rain dance to end the drought, but a poor turnout apparently has doomed us to another 6 weeks of winter. (I guess that statement makes as much sense as a rain dance!)
I can’t figure out whether Atlanta has 250 days of water left or 81 or whatever. At least the Governors of the 3 states are talking.
But I am tired of Perdue and the rest blaming someone, whether Alabama’s Governor or the Army Corps of Engineers. I have not heard anyone offer a solution which leads me to believe that there may not be a solution other than the cessation of the drought. If that is the only real solution, we are probably in more trouble than they want us to know. If that is the only real solution, by the 2008 election we will know for sure whether we are lucky or whether we need to send a delegation to Orme, TN to study their techniques for hauling water to 3+ million people.
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