Gov. Sonny Perdue’s Water Contingency Task Force includes a few Hall County notables who say they are looking forward to culling resources together for the future of Georgia’s water supply.

The governor’s water contingency task force met for the first time Wednesday. The group, comprising business, government and environmental leaders from around the state, focused on the history of the state’s involvement in water litigation with Alabama and Florida and the governor’s four-pronged approach to dealing with the most recent ruling, according to a news release from Gov. Sonny Perdue’s office.

In July, federal Judge Paul
Magnuson ruled that water withdrawal was not a congressionally authorized use of Lake Lanier. The ruling gives Georgia three years to stop using the reservoir for water consumption, negotiate another deal with Florida and Alabama or have Congress reauthorize the lake’s use.

Perdue has touted a four-pronged approach to the recent ruling that includes an appeal, negotiations with Alabama and Florida, lobbying help from congressional leaders and contingency planning.

The task force is the latter part of the approach to the water ruling, and is expected to consider such strategies as tapping rivers and reservoirs outside the Chattahoochee River basin.

High on the list is Walton County’s proposed Hard Labor Creek regional reservoir, which dams the Apalachee River.

The names of the task force’s more than 80 members were announced Thursday.

Representatives on the task force from Hall County include Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle, Philip Wilheit and Greater Hall Chamber of Commerce president and chairwoman of the Metropolitan North Georgia Water Planning District Kit Dunlap.

Dunlap said a lot of the information that the task force is dealing with — identifying alternative water sources and conservation measures — is already out there.

Much of the group’s work will be done via e-mail and teleconferences, Dunlap said.

"We’re trying to bring it all together and see which ones are short-term achievable in three years," Dunlap said.

Wilheit, who owns Wilheit Packaging, said already the task force has identified six potential reservoirs — two of which are the Cedar Creek Reservoir and the future Glades Farm Reservoir in Hall County. The task force has also discussed using existing quarries for water consumption. Wilheit said he hoped the task force’s work would help the state in negotiations with Alabama and Florida leaders.

By the end of the year, the panel will give Perdue a list of possible legislative remedies designed to bolster the region’s water supply.

"In such a short time frame, we’ll be busy," Dunlap said.