Group calls for water conservation, not new dams

COLUMBIA, S.C. - An advocacy group for rivers says cities across the Southeast can save millions of gallons of water a day through conservation.

The group, American Rivers, released a report Wednesday saying steps like repairing leaks in water lines, replacing old fixtures and raising the price of water make more sense than building dams to create new reservoirs.

The report estimates conservation could save up to 210 million gallons of water a day in Atlanta; 47 million gallons a day in Charlotte, N.C.; 20 million gallons a day in Raleigh, N.C.; and 27 million gallons a day in Columbia.

The Southeast has spent much of this decade in a drought, and water shortages have crept up across the region.

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