Over the last four months, the Floridan aquifer in Savannah rose over to levels not seen in more than 70 years of record keeping. The reason? International Paper shut down and reduced its water withdrawal by 10 million gallons a day.
As The Current GA previously reported, this recovery began almost immediately after the plant’s closure. Aquifer levels continued trending upward since then with data from the United States Geological Survey showing the water level bounced more than 19 feet in one Savannah well and 23 feet in another. The USGS has been measuring these wells since the 1950s, when water levels were not as high as they are now.
Officials from the Georgia Environmental Protection Division, which regulates water usage and ultimately issues water withdrawal permits, briefed the Coastal Permitting Advisory Committee on the aquifer recovery and other issues at the Savannah International Trade and Convention Center on Friday, Feb. 27. The 19-member advisory committee includes local municipal water officials as well as the Ogeechee and Savannah Riverkeepers and representatives from forestry, agriculture and the state’s largest utility, Georgia Power.
IP holds one of the largest groundwater withdrawal permits on the coast, allowing it to withdraw up to 12.2 million gallons of water a day. For comparison, the Hyundai Metaplant in Ellabell, which has drawn sharp criticism for its water needs, is expected to use about 4 million gallons a day when it’s fully operational…