So the mayor of Macon is offering to sell some of their water to Hartsfield-Jackson airport.

Mayor Jack Ellis says the airport is vital to the economy of the entire state, and especially to the financial well being of Macon. In addition, Ellis says, by supplying water to the airport, it frees up water that can be used in other parts of north Georgia, struggling with the drought.

Macon has a 6.5 billion gallon reservoir, with enough water to supply the area for nearly 500 days. Lake Lanier, the main source of water for more that 3 million people in metro Atlanta, is said to have less than 90 days of water remaining.

Ellis' proposal is still in its early stages. The mayor is also not in charge of the Macon water supply. The city has a water authority that controls the reservoir, and the water it holds.

In addition, neither the airport nor the office of Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin say they are aware of Ellis' offer. Plus, there's the concern about logistics. Some Macon city officials wonder how they would pump the water from their reservoir to the airport. Macon water authority Chairman Frank Amerson says the authority already sells water to Jones and Monroe counties, but he expected there would be sources closer to Atlanta that might be better positioned to assist Hartsfield-Jackson.

A spokesman for the airport says their water supply is adequate, for now, but officials will soon begin looking into what they will do if the supply starts running low.

October 24, 2007