In Georgia Terry L. Anderson and Pamela S. Snyder Executive Summary Overuse of the Floridan aquifer system by groundwater pumpers in Georgia is causing saltwater intrusion into the aquifer. Under threat of lawsuit from South Carolina, the State of Georgia has begun to impose new pumping restrictions in the Savannah and Brunswick areas. The state's use of regulation to reverse overdraft of the aquifer is not being welcomed with open arms.
Overdraft is the natural result, and regulation is government's answer.
It calls for privatizing the Floridan aquifer system in Georgia on a regional basis by defining quantified groundwater rights and allowing their transfer among users. Georgia should give serious consideration to using transferable property rights and market forces to ensure the most efficient and equitable allocation of this valuable resource.