Georgia Wetlands Offer Cure for Drought : NPR

• Morning Edition, May 1, 2008 · For the last couple of years, the Southeastern U.S. has faced one of the most severe droughts on record.

• But one community has not had to worry. Nearly two decades ago, Clayton County began building a unique water treatment system that includes wetlands and reservoirs.

  “I like to say it’s raining everyday in Clayton County because we’re putting right now about 10 million gallons back in our water supply,” says Mike Thomas, general manager of the Clayton County Water Authority.

• Thomas says the reservoirs here are full and have never been in danger of being too low. That’s because back in the 1980s, folks realized there wasn’t enough water to support the growth, so they decided to build a system of wetlands and reservoirs that would help them save water.

• Amid the 4,000 acres of wetlands in Jonesboro, Ga., are graded pools used to filter water. The water is pumped in from a treatment plant and flows into these ponds, which are filled with all kinds of thick vegetation, including cattails, native grasses and water lilies.

• From the wetlands, the water runs over a gate and into a reservoir, one of four that were built to store billions of gallons of water. Residents use about 26 million gallons of water a day and through this system, the county reclaims 10 million gallons of that.

• This idea probably won’t work for bigger cities like Atlanta because it requires a lot of land. Still, it’s attractive for smaller communities.

  And there’s an added benefit: Officials can create a nature preserve for those who live nearby.