Atlanta Real Estate

In response to the worst drought experienced in North Georgia, Dr. Carol Couch, Director of the Georgia Environmental Protection Division (EPD), declared a Drought Response Level 4 for 61 Counties in North Georgia. Following a summer of increasingly tight water restrictions, and several counties (including Cobb) preemptively declaring total bans on outdoor water use, Dr. Couch mandated a total ban on outdoor watering on September 28, 2007. All of the 61 affected counties are classified in exceptional or extreme drought status. The drought, which began in 2006 as a shortage of rainfall and exceptionally dry soils, became a severe hydrologic drought in 2007, when water resources began to be affected. The total water ban will not be without socioeconomic impacts. Areas of the state face water shortages, and businesses dependent on water face stringent restrictions with serious financial ramifications.

In Cobb County, Lake Allatoona, one of our two sources for the County's drinking water, is almost 8 feet below average for this time of year and 16.5 feet below full pool. Since 1981, Cobb County-Marietta Water Authority (CCMWA) has made multiple appeals to the Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) for additional allocation for drinking water from Lake Allatoona for its service area, which includes Cobb and Paulding Counties, and portions of Cherokee, Douglas and Fulton Counties.  Multiple factors, including the impact on downstream flows and interstate legal disputes over use of the region's water resources, have had a significant bearing on CCMWA's ability to withdraw additional water from Allatoona. 

Allatoona Facts:

•        Allatoona average elevation for this time of year is approximately 832.4 feet above mean sea level (MSL).  Current elevation is 824.5 MSL, almost 8 feet below average, and is expected to continue to decline.

•       CCMWA has a withdrawal permit issued by Georgia EPD for 57 million gallons per day (mgd) annual average.

•        From October 2006 through September 2007, CCMWA's average net withdrawal [gross flows less net returns] was 31 mgd, which converts to 48 cubic feet per second (cfs).
•        From October 2006 through September 2007, the Corps' average release from Allatoona was 934 cfs.
•        CCMWA's storage contract with the Corps provides CCMWA with 4.61% of Allatoona's conservation storage (or that portion of the lake dedicated to hydropower).

The remainder of Cobb County's water is drawn from the Chattahoochee River. This river basin is one of the smallest in the United States to serve a major metropolitan area. The Chattahoochee basin, which includes Lake Lanier, provides water to more than 70% of Metropolitan Atlanta. Lanier, another Corps reservoir, has also been significantly impacted by the drought and interstate legal disputes, as well as by large releases from the reservoir for downstream flows as directed by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for threatened and endangered species. Lanier is currently almost 8 feet below average for this time of year, and over 13 feet below full pool

Climatologists predict that the drought will persist in North Georgia through the winter and into the spring of 2008. The anticipated extension of the drought, coupled with high releases from these headwaters reservoirs, leaves the possibility of much greater challenges meeting future demands for drinking water as we move into 2008.

Chattahoochee Facts:

•        Lanier average elevation for this time of year is approximately 1065.5 MSL.  Current elevation is below 1058 MSL, almost 8 feet below average, and is expected to continue to drop at a rate of 1.5 feet per week.
•        CCMWA has a permit issued by Georgia EPD for 87 mgd annual average withdrawal from the Chattahoochee River.
•       From October 2006 through September 2007, CCMWA's average withdrawal from the Chattahoochee was 53 mgd, which converts to 82 cfs.
•       From October 2006 through September 2007, the Corps' average release from Lake Lanier for all downstream uses was 1221 cfs.

Cobb County-Marietta Water Authority's average daily demand during the winter is 80 to 85 million gallons.  From May through September of this year, prior to the Level 4 declaration, CCMWA's daily demand on "dry" Fridays was 103 million gallons. The Level 4 declaration has resulted in a 16% drop in demand from 116 mgd (September 2007 prior to declaration) to 97 million gallons a day (October to date).

As Cobb County and the rest of North Georgia face new water supply challenges, conservation of our existing resource becomes essential.  In 1988, CCMWA became the first utility in the state of Georgia to hire a water conservation specialist.  CCMWA's conservation education programs have continued since that time, and its current program, waterSmart (www.watersmart.net), has been adopted for use by the Georgia EPD in its statewide public education efforts for water conservation.  In March of 2004 the Cobb County Board of Commissioners approved The Cobb County Water Efficiency Plan. The water efficiency program includes education and outreach, water saving fixture distribution, and outdoor water use initiatives. Cobb County was the first county in the metro area to establish a position dedicated to the creation and management of a water conservation program. A toilet rebate initiative is being developed to assist customers with the cost of replacing their old high flow toilets.  Additionally, our leakage rate and water tier conservation pricing methodology is very effective in conserving water.

It's important to note that in CCMWA's 1988 50-Year Water Supply Master Plan, growth was anticipated in per capita demands to 190 gcd.  When that report was being written, the region was in the midst of a drought that changed its perspective on conservation.  Conservation became a focus of long-term water supply planning, and the upward trend in per capita water use reversed.  Per capita water demands for Cobb County dropped from 146 gallons per capita per day (gcd) in 1990 to 130 gcd in 2000 to 123 gcd in 2006.

The sacrifices our citizens are making by foregoing outdoor watering, washing cars, and filling pools, are both necessary and difficult. With the possibility of tighter restrictions in the near future, the role of each individual in managing water becomes critical.  Small changes in behavior, adherence to the restrictions in place, and the retrofitting of high water consuming fixtures in the home, will and do make a difference and help extend limited resources.  "Though we understand how difficult this is for our citizens, this is an issue of public health and safety.  It is a time for personal sacrifice for the greater community good" explained Sam Olens, Chairman of the Cobb County Board of Commissioners. 

With the help of Senators Isakson and Chambliss and our Congressional delegation, we must impress upon the Corps and the courts the need to reduce the flows from both Lake Allatoona and Lake Lanier.  We must all share the pain of this record-breaking drought.

Gallery Residences Condos

Gallery Residenes

Open House. Saturday October 20^th from 1 unitl 4 pm.

Personal tours of the 5^th floor, designer-decorated model home will be held hourly.  The building is still a masterpiece in progress and construction regulations apply.  Please adhere to the following dress code: long pants and hard-sole shoes are required; no bare shoulder or open-toed shoes are permitted.

Luxury condos from the $400,00s to over $1 million.

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404-961-6666

Atlanta Real Estate

New Health Alert: Salmonella Outbreak Impacts 30 States

The Center for Disease Control (CDC) is collaborating with public health officials in multiple states across the United States and with the U.S. Department of Agriculture Food Safety and Inspection Service to investigate an ongoing multi-state outbreak of Salmonella.

Advice to consumers

At this time, CDC recommends that people do not eat any Banquet pot pies or pot pies made by ConAgra Foods that have a printed code ending in "P9." Other brands of pot pies made in the ConAgra Foods factory that makes Banquet brand pot pies and sold under other brand names may also be contaminated with Salmonella. These other pot pie boxes also have a printed code ending in "P9". If you have any of these products at home, the safest thing to do is to discard them.

Consumers with questions about these products may contact the ConAgra hotline at (866) 484-8671

Clinical features of Salmonella
Most people infected with Salmonella develop diarrhea, fever, and abdominal cramps 12-72 hours after infection. Infection is usually diagnosed by culture of a stool sample. The illness usually lasts four to seven days. Although most people recover without treatment, severe infections may occur. Infants, elderly persons, and people with impaired immune systems are more likely than others to develop severe illness. In severe infection, Salmonella spreads from the intestines to the bloodstream and then to other body sites and death can occur if the person is not treated promptly with antibiotics.

Atlanta Real Estate

Country Music legend George Jones brings his unmistakable voice to the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre on Friday, December 7.

Known as one of the finest voices in the history of country music, George Jones began his illustrious career in 1955 when he made his chart debut with "Why, Baby, Why." That single helped to plant the seeds of a career spanning over five decades and earning him more charting singles (166) than any artist in any format of music. His unmistakable voice has graced some of country music's most enduring hits such as "White Lightning," "She Thinks I Still Care," "Good Year For the Roses," "The Race Is On," "Who's Gonna Fill Their Shoes," and two Grammy award winning songs, "Choices" and the classic "He Stopped Loving Her Today."

At age 76, Jones shows no signs of slowing down. As a recording artist, his most recent projects include Hits I Missed.And One I Didn't in 2005, and 2006's Jones Sings Haggard, Haggard Sings Jones: Kickin' Out the Floodlights Again. In addition, Jones maintains an active tour schedule, headlining nearly 100 concert dates a year.
Event times: Dec 7, 2007 (Fri)
8:00 PM
Ticket Information: Tickets go on sale: Oct 5, 2007 10:00 AM
Ticket Prices: $43.50

More info website: http://www.georgejones.com/

John Fogerty will be appearing at Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre on Tuesday, December 4th at 8:00 PM for one night only. Fogerty is touring in support of his new album, Revival, due in stores this Tuesday, October 2nd.
Event times: Dec 4, 2007 (Tue)
8:00 PM
Ticket Information: Tickets go on sale: Oct 6, 2007 10:00 AM
Ticket Prices: $39.50 - $59.50
More info website: http://www.johnfogerty.com/

Atlanta Real Estate