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By James E. Horton Jr., Birmingham Botanical Gardens and Past ATA President
Alabama Turf Times >>> Fa l l 2008
As
reported in the last issue of Alabama Turf Times, the Permanent Joint Legislative Committee on Water Policy and Management met July 28 in Montgomery. Nine of the fourteen members of this committee were present to hear five presentations on how water affects the Alabama economy and its citizens. Each presentation covered a different perspective and was very informative. Speaking for Business and Industry, George Clark from Manufacture Alabama said that 15,000 jobs were tied directly to water, with another 75,000 affected indirectly. Certain manufacturers have permits to use water from rivers and reservoirs, but if water levels are down, business slows or stops, resulting in unemployment and lost business opportunities. Mac Underwood, general manager for the Birmingham Water Works (the nation's 25th largest water supplier), spoke for the Water Utility. He stated that his system is the only major water system in the state that is not
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located on a major waterway. Systems such as his rely on reservoirs, with very few the size of Birmingham's using ground water to supply large volume demands. ADEM is against mixing ground water with surface water. Normally, he pointed out, ground water is pure enough not to require as much filtering and, for the most part, only needs chemical treatment before sending to consumers. But if ground water is mixed with surface water that has been through the complete treatment process, it causes a reaction within the water pipes, resulting in cloudy water quality. Mr. Underwood said that his water system has adequate treatment capacity through 2030, but that somewhere between 2020 and 2040, they will need more water sources. He said that the Birmingham Water Works had sought additional reservoir and river sources in recent years but with no luck. Willard Bowers, vice president of Environmental Affairs for Alabama
Power Company (APCO), made a presentation for Energy. He said that APCO, TVA and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers all manage water in this state but that APCO is the largest water manager and water user, adding that most of the water it uses is returned to the system. In a normal year, APCO will produce 6% to 8% of its electrical power from hydroelectric dams; however, during the drought of 2007, it was down to only 2%. Mr. Bowers mentioned that electricity produced from hydroelectric sources is the cleanest and cheapest power they produce. Bowers noted that APCO's reservoirs play more than just a role with electrical power; they also have ecological, water quality, recreational, flood control, drinking water, water safety, and transportation purposes. APCO is in daily contact with the Army Corps of Engineers to monitor water levels and downstream flow requirements. Cities like Birmingham and Montgomery depend on APCO for water releases. In other areas, agri-