Cumming begins second emergency measure; dredging Lake Lanier
A few weeks ago, Cumming extended their intake pipe by about 50 feet to help it reach deeper into the lake. Next Monday they’ll begin the $1 million, 2-4 week process of dredging the bottom of the lake to help them reach even deeper water.
They plan to lower the level of the lake at their intake from 1,040 feet to 1,030 feet, then build a channel into deeper areas of the lake. They also announced that they have phase three of their emergency plan ready to go if things get worse; floating a barge and using high-pressure pumps to bring water to their plant.
The city has set aside money that “should cover” all of the costs next year.
The only problem I see is that this plan still relies on Lake Lanier. I don’t have a better solution for them, but Lanier is going to drain pretty quickly if things keep going like they are. As far as I know, Lawrenceville is the only area to have a plan in place for that situation, but I still expect others to develop their own pretty soon.
Between the rain we might get in the next few days and the holidays coming up, I have a feeling that a lot of people are going to be putting this on the back burner until after Christmas. If things don’t make a dramatic change between now and then, I think people will really start freaking out in January when they realize how much worse things are becoming.
November 21st, 2007 at 11:07 pm
Cumming trying to dredge up the dregs of Lake Lanier is really freaky. There must be less water in the lake than US Army Corp of Engineers has publicly admitted. Harvesting the “dead pool” water has drawbacks in that it most likely has high concentrations of bacteria and chemicals. Over 50+ years of boat motor oil leakage would be concentrated there. That water even when treated might cause skin rashes if you use it for bathing or far worse if you drank the stuff.
November 22nd, 2007 at 11:35 am
New song title for Georgia: Atlanta drinking the dregs of Lake Lanier.
November 22nd, 2007 at 3:29 pm
Motor oil floats, but who knows what has settled down on the bottom.
The ACE said its testing on the dead pool proved it was drinkable with little processing.
Although you don’t want to start stirring all that goop on the bottom either without testing it. There could be mercury from the coal power plants.
November 22nd, 2007 at 3:32 pm
Here are quotes from a recent article: “Atlanta May Have To Drink The Dregs”
cbsnews.com > November 16, 2007.
“With drought tightening its grip on the Southeast, the Atlanta area’s reservoirs are almost down to the dregs - the dirtier, more bacteria-laden water close to the bottom - and it’s going to require more aggressive and more expensive purification.”
“Even with standard treatment, the water at that level can have a strong odor, taste and color. State officials consider the water ’suspect at best.”
Thus dead zone or dead pool water: bottom layer of lakes low in oxygen, high in organic sludge, pesticide contaminates, various chemical residues, mercury and toxic bacteria.
Use of dead pool water is about 90 to 120 days away, for Lake Lanier, unless massive storm-water runoff refills lake before then but heavy rain potential is slim.
NOTE: dead pool water should NOT be used for drinking, NOR for making/bottling of Coca-Cola in Atlanta, PLUS could cause skin rashes or even bacterial infections.
November 22nd, 2007 at 3:39 pm
John > motor oil floats at first, but as it gets gooey it sinks as tar balls to the bottom, plus the chemicals in gasoline or diesel can concentrate on the bottom. Heavy sewage crud would linger in the dead pool. The water and soil in the dead pool should be tested before usage, but I bet Cumming and Atlanta will use it anyways in desperation.
November 22nd, 2007 at 3:51 pm
If I remain in Georgia, then I will only drink bottled water that is filled in another state. I would also no longer brush my teeth with tap water either.
Those with sensitive skin like me might get skin rashes from bathing in water from Lanier’s dead pool. Saving rainwater to rinse off residue in shower would be a good idea.
November 23rd, 2007 at 12:01 am
Jay, thanks for the info! I’m not an expert, but read articles.
In this article it says the ACE did test the dead pool water.
“The Corps’ Pat Taylor says the tests show the water quality if “pretty good.” He says the water in the dead pools will require minimum treatment to make it suitable for drinking.”
http://www.wsbtv.com/drought/14456915/detail.html
However other reports state smaller towns spending big $$$ to treat the water.
I have no idea what is at the bottom of the lake.
Around here several public marianas are no longer allowed to dredge by state DNR. It very toxic but is safe where it is on the bottom. We have very strict environmental regulations for dredging.
So, I’m in agreement with you.
All of that needs to be tested.
November 23rd, 2007 at 12:09 am
At any rate, all I was trying to add is that dredging can stir up the goop and it become an hazard.
don’t know if that’s the case there or not
December 4th, 2007 at 4:32 pm
[...] continues to dredge the lake in an effort to access deeper water (as we mentioned a few weeks ago). This dredging is stirring up so much sediment that the water plant has been shut down onsome [...]
December 5th, 2007 at 7:23 pm
I’m concerned because I have just cleaned out my beta fish bowl, as I do regularly, and a black, soot like residue had formed ( within the past three days) above the water line in the fish bowl. We’ve had this fish for two years and this has never happened. My concern is what waste produuct or heavy metal could be seperating itself from the water. Since the fish is using up the oxygen in the water, perhaps this has allowed any heavy metals or some kind of algea not present before, to rise above the water line? My husband is in the sciences, so we plan to have our water independently tested. I live in Cumming. Yes…I am concerned. We all should be, even if this soot like substance turns out to be nothing.