Katherine Zitsch
Title: Deputy Chief Operating Officer
Contact: (404) 463-3100; kzitsch@atlantaregional.org
NWSA Involvement: Founding Member, President
Bio:
Katherine Zitsch is the Deputy Chief Operating Officer and Senior Water Policy Advisor at the Atlanta Regional Commission (ARC). She joined ARC in 2013, serving for ten years as the head of ARC’s Natural Resources program and the Director of the Metropolitan North Georgia Water Planning District. In this role, she oversaw water, wastewater, and stormwater planning across 15 counties and 96 cities in Metro Atlanta spanning six different river basins. As part of her work for ARC, she assists numerous local water providers in their dealings with the Corps and is actively engaged in legislative affairs, including the WRDA process.
Prior to joining ARC, Katherine was a Vice President at CDM Smith. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering and a Master of Science degree in Environmental Systems Engineering, both from Clemson University (Go Tigers!). She is a Board Certified Environmental Engineer through the American Academy of Environmental Engineers.
Katherine and her husband, Wayne, live in Marietta, Georgia. They have three children.
Organizational
Overview:
Organization Type:
Regional Government
Water Supply:
The Atlanta Regional Commission (ARC) is the planning agency for the Metro Atlanta region. ARC is not a water supplier but represents Metro Atlanta water providers in dealings with the Corps and in defense of Metro Atlanta’s water supply.
Population Served:
Approximately 6 million.
Reservoir Water Users:
City of Atlanta, Bartow County, City of Buford, City of Cartersville, City of Cumming, Cobb County-Marietta Water Authority, DeKalb County, Forsyth County, Fulton County, City of Gainesville, Gwinnett County.
Total Storage Volume:
Approx. 290,000 acre-feet in Lake Lanier and Allatoona Lake.
Key Issues/Challenges:
Metro Atlanta’s focus is on securing timely action on reallocation requests, ensuring the Corps honors the state’s water allocation decisions, and addressing water quality challenges at the federal projects to allow for continued growth of water reuse.