According to Southern Regional Water Program( a partnership of USDA and NIFA)

States in the Southern region are facing major issues related to water quantity and conservation and water quality. Periodic drought conditions and a rapidly growing population are placing increasing demands on limited water resources in the region. At the same time, deterioration of water quality has occurred in some areas due to sediment, pathogenic bacteria, nitrogen, phosphorus, pesticides and other contaminants.

These contaminants often can be traced to agricultural, forestry, fisheries and municipal activities where there is improper use of crop protection chemicals, land application of human and animal by-products, erosion and sediment transport, contaminated rural and urban storm water runoff, or improperly functioning on-site sewage treatment systems. In most cases, problems within a watershed stem from a combination of one or more of these potential sources.

In fact, there are at least twelve* streams or rivers and five lakes or reservoirs in Georgia that are listed as impaired by the State because they do not meet State specified criteria for drinking water quality.

*There are likely more, but they have not been identified or listed.