At a recent meeting of the Lake Lanier Association, representatives from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers attempted to explain current water release conditions to an irate crowd of more than 300 members.

During a question-and-answer session, the corps representatives danced and danced. It reminded one of a "Dancing with the Stars" TV show. Few if any questions were ever answered to the audience's satisfaction. More questions were introduced than answers.

One comment made by a corps spokesman that fell on deaf ears was that the corps is responsible for the quality of the water released downstream. The word "quality" set off whistles and bells for me. Water coming out of Lake Lanier is pure lake water. It is not treated water. Why would the corps be responsible for the quality of the water downstream?

This answer makes me wonder if something is causing the water downstream to be so polluted, requiring copious amounts of water from Lake Lanier to dilute the water in the Chattahoochee River.

Could the city of Atlanta be causing this pollution? Could Atlanta's water treatment system be so antiquated or ill-managed that the city allows improperly treated sewage water into the Chattahoochee?

For many months, the politicians in Atlanta have been alarmed about the falling lake level. Headlines in the papers tout 5 million people in danger of not having drinking water. Could it be that Atlanta's government is so impotent it can't treat its sewage at its water treatment plant? Is the corps covering for the incompetence of the city of Atlanta?

Yes, this meeting created more questions than answers. Sure makes one wonder.

Bob Turpen
Dawsonville