Federal Judge Overturns Water Ruling

The Associated Press is reporting a federal judge has tossed out a lower court ruling that would have severely restrict Atlanta’s ability to take water from Lake Lanier, starting in July 2012, unless the governors of Georgia, Florida and Alabama reached an agreement to end the long-standing water wars between the tri-state area.

The appeals court reportedly ruled that the U.S. Corps of Engineers must first issue a final decision on whether Georgia can have more water before legal challenges can proceed. The decision Tuesday by the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals overturned an early order from U.S. District Court Judge Paul Magnuson.

Roswell residents get their water from both the Big Creek Watershed and Fulton County, which gets its water supply from the Chattahoochee River. The Fulton County Water Service Division supplies potable water to customers in Fulton County north of the Chattahoochee River including Alpharetta, Johns Creek, Milton, Roswell and parts of Duluth, according to its Web site.