Second building block of sustainable management: Evaluation of the resource and its capacity to meet projected demand

Groundwater: estimated range of SY for groundwater sources

Surface Water: capacity of surface water resources to 1) meet water supply needs for municipal, industrial, agricultural, and thermoelectric power use; 2) flow available to assimilate projected wastewater

Water Quality: capacity of Georgia’s surface waters to accommodate pollutants without unacceptable degradation of water quality, i.e., without exceeding state water quality standards or harming aquatic life. Example: Dissolved Oxygen.

The assessment also looks at capacity to meet Demand for assimilation of treated wastewater. These are modeled assessments that are evaluated for current and future conditions to identify any shortfalls.

Planning council members bring perspectives of local governments, water users, and other water-related interests.

Public input: includes local governments, other state or federal agencies and the general public provide input during the planning process.

Submit recommended plan to EPD for approval. 

The plans are used in EPD and GEFA agency-decision making processes. 

Also provides early-warning info and management recommendations for permit holders and other implementers re: environmental management and meeting demand in ways that support economic development.

Georgia Water Planning Website

• Short video overview
• State Water Plan
• Forecast dashboard
• Resource assessments
• Regional water plans
• Upcoming and past meetings

waterplanning.georgia.gov

Georgia’s future relies on the sustainable management and protection of the state’s limited water supplies. The 2004 Comprehensive State-wide Water Management Planning Act mandates the development of a state-wide water plan that supports a far-reaching vision for water resource management. The plan 

Regional Water Planning Guidance

The Regional Water Planning Guidance provides details for regional planning councils to use while preparing regional water plans. EPD may periodically update this document and/or issue supplemental guidance to ensure the regional Water Planning Councils have the necessary information.

Currently, state and federal statutes form the foundation for Georgia’s water management programs. The goals of the Comprehensive State-wide Water Management Planning Act are aligned with the collective goals of other statutes related to water resource management. Two goals that resonate throughout federal and state statutes can be summed up as:

• Protect public health and environmental quality; and
• Meet future needs while protecting aquifers, instream uses and downstream users.

Georgia EPD

•Provide liaison to Council

•Ensure consistency with the State Water Plan

•Maintain schedule and budget for plan revision

Regional planning contractors

• Provide technical and planning support to Council
• Prepare Plan following Council guidance

Local governments, other agencies, general public

• Provide input during planning process

Other water planning councils 

• Coordinate on plan provisions for shared water resources

The above graphic shows the steps in the Review and Revision of the Regional Water Plan. Georgia EPD provides forecasts of demand and resources assessments. The assessments are evaluated to find shortfalls and make sure that the Vision and Goals are being met. This is followed by making sure the management practices are adjusted for demand and resource capacity. All of these steps result in a recommended Regional Water Plan.

Regional Water Plan Revision Cycle. It begins with Recon and information gathering period. Most intensive work is during boxes two-four, which includes the technical products for review, council deliberations, and revision of plan contents. This is followed by EPD and public review period, and finally resulting in final 2028 plan. There will be considerable interaction with EPD and its contractors at the beginning with population projections to get final population projects spring 2026, Fall 2026 will include demand forecasts and Resource Assessments. There will be concurrent work on revisions to each section. Early spring 2028 is the target for draft adopted plan ready for review. The final plans should be submitted to EPD by June 2028. 

Review Process of Population Projections

This same process will be used for the demand forecasts that follow the population projections.