Sustainability

*If you live in the city of Atlanta, click here to find out about the Sustainable Building Ordinance.

Local Water Conservation Program
The most important thing that your local government can do is to establish and annually fund a water conservation program to promote efficiency measures and offer incentives, such as rebates for new toilets and other water efficient appliances. Cobb County is a star among metro Atlanta governments with a staffed program and a budget of $400,000 per year. www.water.cobbcountyga.gov/efficiency.htm

Urge your city or county to put a water conservation program in its annual budget, and encourage officials to make sure that all their buildings are water efficient.

Low Impact Development
We are going to have to grow differently in metro Atlanta if we are to sustain our limited water supplies into the future. Local policies should prohibit approval of developments if officials cannot certify the availability of water and sewer. Local ordinances that protect stream buffers, floodplains and wetlands must be strengthened and enforced.

Urge your local officials to promote, even mandate, low impact development, including the use of permeable pavement wherever possible to allow rain to filter into the ground. See www.lid-stormwater.net/