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Posted Wednesday, October 31 at 8:03 AM
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Local officials in Alabama defend efforts to conserve water
by The Associated Press
MONTGOMERY, Ala. - City and county officials from central and east Alabama say they have done everything possible to protect water supplies during the devastating drought that has gripped the Southeast.
Alexander City Mayor Barbara Young says there's nothing else that could have been done short of praying a little more.
She joined more than a dozen officials from Alabama cities, counties and water systems yesterday at a news conference at the Statehouse in Montgomery. They gathered to respond to recent comment by Georgia Governor Perdue -- who says Atlanta has taken significant steps to prepare for the drought while Alabama has done little.
Perdue made his comment in a dispute between the states over whether Georgia should release more water from its reservoirs or hold back its resources to protect Atlanta's drinking water supply. Meanwhile water levels in lakes along Alabama rivers dropped to record levels for summer months and some water systems have been forced to take emergency measures to protect water supplies.
The co-chair of the Southeast Water Alliance -- Jerry Sailors -- says some Alabama cities began taking conservation measures as early as March.
Alabama Governor Bob Riley did NOT attend the news conference. But he said in a separate appearance that Alabama's economic growth is at stake because of the drought. He says Alabama and Georgia must find a way to share water resources.
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