Section 12-5-584. Water supply and water conservation management plan; interbasin transfers

   (a) Within two years after May 1, 2001, unless such time period is extended by majority vote of the board, the district shall prepare a water supply and water conservation management plan. The plan shall build upon and be coordinated with existing watershed planning efforts undertaken by local governments in the district area and plans otherwise developed by the state. After receipt of public comments, the district shall approve the plan which shall meet all standards established by the director, and the plan shall include the following minimum elements:

   (1) A description of current water supply resources within the district and potential limitations on such supply resources;

   (2) Projected water supply requirements over a 20 year period for the district, including projections given differing population, consumption, and conservation scenarios;

   (3) Identification of opportunities to expand water supply resources which are found within the district as it was defined on May 1, 2001;

   (4) An accounting of existing transfers of surface waters in excess of 100,000 gallons per day on an annualized basis across natural basins within the district;

   (5) A water conservation program including voluntary measures, best management practices, and measures enforceable through local ordinances;

   (6) Education and public awareness measures regarding water conservation; and

   (7) Establishment of short-term and long-term goals to be accomplished by the plan and measures for the assessment of progress in accomplishing such goals and plan.

(b) The district shall review the water supply and water conservation management plan developed under this Code section and its implementation annually to determine whether there is a need to update such plan and shall report to the director the progress of implementation of its goals, and in any case the district shall prepare an updated water supply and water conservation management plan no less frequently than every five years after approval of the initial plan.

(c) The district shall hold public meetings concerning any plan developed by the district under subsection (a) of this Code section and shall publish in print or electronically for public notice and comment any proposed approval, disapproval, or conditional approval of any such plan.

(d) (1) Local governments within the district shall implement the provisions of the district plans that apply to them. Should any jurisdiction fail to do so, the director may exercise his or her powers pursuant to this chapter.

   (2) Upon the district's approval of the plan, the director may modify all existing permits under Code Sections 12-5-29, 12-5-30, 12-5-31, 12-5-96, 12-5-97, and 12-5-179 to make them consistent with the plan. The director may include as a condition in any issued, modified, or renewed permit to any local government under Code Section 12-5-29, 12-5-30, 12-5-31, 12-5-96, 12-5-97, or 12-5-179 the applicable contents of the district plan.

   (3) The director shall not approve any application by a local government in the district to issue, modify, or renew a permit under Code Section 12-5-29, 12-5-30, 12-5-31, 12-5-96, 12-5-97, or 12-5-179, if such permit would allow an increase in the water withdrawal, public water system capacity, or waste-water treatment system capacity of such local government, unless such local government is in compliance with the applicable provisions of the plan or the director certifies that such local government is making good faith efforts to come into compliance.

   (4) Any local government that fails to adopt and implement the applicable plans developed by the district under this Code section shall be ineligible for state grants or loans for water supply and conservation projects determined by the director to be inconsistent with such plans. The determination of the director may be appealed by the local government to the board, whose decision by majority vote shall be final.

(e) The water supply and water conservation management plan shall be approved by the district only after certification by the director that the proposed plan is consistent with the standards established by the director for such plan.

(f) The district shall neither study nor include in any plan any interbasin transfer of water from outside the district area.

Code 1981, § 12-5-584, enacted by Ga. L. 2001, p. 115, § 1; Ga. L. 2002, p. 415, § 12; Ga. L. 2010, p. 838, § 10/SB 388.