Water woes may spread to theme park industry.
Three popular Six Flags Over Georgia water rides may get shut down this season because of the drought. Labels: local news, weather
A Cobb County Water System official discussed the possible restrictions during a meeting Tuesday with Six Flags officials, according to Six Flags spokeswoman Hela Sheth.
The rides discussed were Skull Island, Splashwater Falls and Thunder River.
"We were informed of the possibility we may not be able to operate those three rides," Sheth said Wednesday.
Cobb officials did not mention any other attractions during the meeting, Sheth said. Cobb officials would only say general scenarios about park restrictions were discussed at the meeting, which was sought by Six Flags representatives.
Officials did not discuss when a decision would be made about whether Six Flags can operate the three rides. The county is looking to the state's Environmental Protection Division for guidance under the drought restrictions imposed in September, according to Cobb spokeswoman Aik Wah Leow.
Six Flags also operates the White Water theme park in Marietta.
Bob Lewis, general manager of Marietta Power & Water, which supplies the water-ride park, said the utility has not had any discussions with Six Flags about whether the park would be affected by the state's drought restrictions on 61 North Georgia counties.
The Six Flags Over Georgia park in southwest Cobb is scheduled to open weekends beginning March 1 and daily on May 23, the start of the Memorial Day weekend.
It is Cobb's eighth-largest employer, employing 2,715 at its peak last year, according to the county's Chamber of Commerce.
Sheth said Six Flags will cooperate with whatever water officials decide.
"We want to be good corporate citizens," she said.
Sheth did not have data Wednesday on how much water the three rides use each day. Each year, about 2 million people visit Six Flags Over Georgia.
The drought has forced local and state officials to put a damper on how metro Atlantans play.
Saying it would take too long for lawns to recover properly after a large event, Atlanta officials announced earlier this month they would not allow events that draw more than 50,000 people on the grass of any city park.
Such events include the Atlanta Dogwood Festival, the Atlanta Jazz Festival, the Atlanta Pride Festival and the Peachtree Road Race.
State officials, meanwhile, have banned the filling or topping off of outdoor swimming pools in North Georgia.
Six Flags voluntarily closed Splashwater Falls and Thunder River last September in response to Gov. Sonny Perdue's statewide watering ban.
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