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9/6/2024
WT Staff
 Got water comments, questions or concerns? Give us a call at 877-52-WATER (877-529-2837), or email us at info@wtga.us
September 6, 2024 948 am EDT
NWS Hazardous Weather Outlook: Thunderstorms, heavy rain, isolated flooding possible
Hazardous Weather Outlook issued 434 am Friday Sep 6 by NWS Peachtree City
Isolated thunderstorms are possible during the afternoon and
evening in central Georgia, which could bring locally heavy
rainfall and lightning. An isolated flooding potential could arise
in central Georgia primarily south of a Columbus to Macon line where
localized rainfall totals near or over 2 inches are possible
through tonight.
The probability for widespread hazardous weather is low. A few
thunderstorms are possible in portions of central Georgia Saturday
through Monday.
Impacting Baldwin-Banks-Barrow-Bartow-Bibb-Bleckley-Butts-Carroll-Catoosa-Chattahoochee-Chattooga-Cherokee-Clarke-Clayton-Cobb-Coweta-
Crawford-Crisp-Dade-Dawson-DeKalb-Dodge-Dooly-Douglas-Emanuel-
Fannin-Fayette-Floyd-Forsyth-Gilmer-Glascock-Gordon-Greene-
Gwinnett-Hall-Hancock-Haralson-Harris-Heard-Henry-Houston-Jackson-
Jasper-Jefferson-Johnson-Jones-Lamar-Laurens-Lumpkin-Macon-
Madison-Marion-Meriwether-Monroe-Montgomery-Morgan-Murray-
Muscogee-Newton-North Fulton-Oconee-Oglethorpe-Paulding-Peach-
Pickens-Pike-Polk-Pulaski-Putnam-Rockdale-Schley-South Fulton-
Spalding-Stewart-Sumter-Talbot-Taliaferro-Taylor-Telfair-Toombs-
Towns-Treutlen-Troup-Twiggs-Union-Upson-Walker-Walton-Warren-
Washington-Webster-Wheeler-White-Whitfield-Wilcox-Wilkes-Wilkinson Counties.
Streamflow Situation from the network of USGS streamflow gauges in Georgia
Rivers and creeks throughout Georgia run normal to below seasonal normal levels in the southeast, trending downward below normal to much below normal in the southwest. Central Georgia runs an even mix of normal to much below normal, the northwest normal to below normal flows, the northeast runs mostly below normal. in central and north state with an even mix of normal and below seasonal normal levels. The drought map plots the 7-day average streamflow against historic average streamflow to come up with a rating, below normal, moderate drought, severe drought or extreme drought. The surface area of Georgia has been in a drying trend progressively filling the drought map with rated areas since the end of widespread spring flooding, interrupted in the southeast with the incursion of flooding by Tropical Storm Debby in late July. As of this report, heavy rain and localized flooding in the forecast, approximately two-thirds of Georgia carries some type of drought rating. Moderate drought rating applies to the Lower Coosa River watershed through Floyd and Polk border Counties, Tallapoosa River watershed through border Carroll and Haralson Counties, the Lower Flint River watershed from Marion County to the outlet in Lake Seminole, and Suwannee River watershed in the south. More to follow as the storms track through dropping up to 2" of rain along the Columbus to Macon line.
Safe Drinking Water
Spills of toxic materials have the potential to endanger public health and contaminate groundwater, surface water, and soils, even in very small amounts. As we report on incidents potentially impacting drinking water sources in Georgia, see pink tags on the map to the right. Turn on the watershed layer and directional arrows to understand the potential impact zone of the spills, any drinking water advisories within the same impact zone will be tagged in yellow, red for do not consume. Black tags indicate flooding, mobilizing contaminants through the drainage area.
Drinking water facilities are profiled in the SDWA Act column, see drinking water facility profiles with source water details here, and the US EPA compliance stats for Georgia's drinking water facilities and those with significant Safe Drinking Water Act violations, here.
Pollution Prevention - Permission to Discharge
The Environmental Protection Division (EPD) issues permits to industrial and municipal operations for the discharge of treated wastewater to the waterways of the state. Permit holders must renew every five years, the characteristics and amount of the material to be discharged assessed and considered in light of all other known point source discharges to the same area or same receiving water body. WTGA.us reports matters concerning discharges potentially impacting water bodies, drinking water sources along with the streamflow levels by watershed area and drainage basin. Flooding carries land-applied contaminants to the waterways, as such these events are plotted together as observed. Understanding the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES), Land Application System (LAS), Pretreatment permits, Sludge Management Plans, and/or Industrial Pretreatment Programs is an important facet of the work.
Environmental Protection Division administers and enforces compliance with the permits mentioned above. According to the EPD, "For proposed new or expanded NPDES point source discharge permits, an antidegradation analysis is conducted. The analysis evaluates whether allowing lower water quality is necessary to accommodate important economic or social development in the area in which the waters are located. In all cases, existing instream water uses and the level of water quality necessary to protect the existing designated use is maintained and protected."
When discharge permits are not followed, whether intentionally or accidentally, the US EPA can step into an enforcement role to assist the State. See an example of a metal finishing company in violation of the Clean Water Act by way of breaching the discharge permit terms, here.
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