Cover_SUO_Regional Report_June 2023
Savannah-Upper Ogeechee Regional Water Plan
The Savannah-Upper Ogeechee Regional Water Plan was initially completed in 2011 and subsequently updated in 2017 and 2023. The plan outlines near-term and long-term strategies to meet water needs through 2060.
Savannah-Upper
Background
The Savannah-Upper Ogeechee Region encompasses 20 counties in the northeast portion of Georgia. Over the next 40 years, the population of the region is projected to increase from approximately 647,700 to 719,200 residents. Some key economic drivers in the region include government facilities, health care services, manufacturing, retail and construction sectors. Water supplies, wastewater treatment, and related infrastructure will need to be developed and maintained to support these economic drivers.
While much of the region’s water comes from surface water and regulated reservoirs, portions of the region rely significantly on groundwater aquifers. Water resource challenges in the region include: low dissolved oxygen levels in the Savannah River and Harbor and the sharing of substantial load reductions between Georgia and South Carolina dischargers; and potential shortages in surface water availability in the Ogeechee Basin.
Management practices needed to address these challenges include: water conservation, development of local water and wastewater plans, and coordinated interstate planning.
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