Water is one of the most important resources we have, and yet threats to water quality are all around us. Every year, the Georgia Water Coalition releases a report highlighting the most serious threats to water quality here in Georgia. The purpose of publishing an annual list is to highlight for the public the threats to water quality and increase pressure on state and federal lawmakers and regulators to take political action to address these problems.
The annual list, which goes by the name “Dirty Dozen,” is a collection of the interests of 228 groups, businesses, and organizations. Some of the threats highlighted on the list for 2015 are issues we have written about on this blog in recent months, particularly the precarious situation with Georgia’s regulation of stream buffers, the threat to wildlife on the Coosa River stemming from power plant operations, and threats to well water quality in Georgia.
As the Dirty Dozen list shows, threats to water resources come in a variety of forms, and can have different levels of impact. In some cases, the threat comes in the form of pollution to public waters, such as point source pollution to wetlands, lakes, rivers underground water supplies, and coastal waters. In other cases, the threat concerns private property owners, as can be the case when housing or business development impacts properties downstream properties.
Whatever the specific issue involved, it is important to work with an experienced legal advocate to obtain guidance and advocacy in seeking resolution to the issue and compensation for injuries, losses and other damages when appropriate.