THE RICHLAND CREEK RESERVOIR project in Paulding County richly deserves to be on the Georgia Water Coalition’s 2012 “Dirty Dozen” list of worst offenders. Of course, Gov. Nathan Deal says he likes it to the tune of $29 million in loan support although he probably didn’t like that a Gainesville landfill with which he has been associated in the past also made the list.

Alas, not only would this proposed bathtub to hold water for the next drought already rearing its head along the banks of Lake Lanier (or resumption of growth) suck 40 million gallons a day out of the Etowah River before it can flow past Rome and on to the Alabamians now receiving it, but it would encourage Paulding not to solve its real problems. Those are old, leaky water pipes and meters that lose an estimated 25 percent of what is put into them and heavy continued use of septic systems that make wastewater vanish into the ground. Which, of course, is cheaper than treating it to return to the river.

Oddly, while “Dirty Dozen” is a popular tag for villains of all sorts, most creators of such lists don’t seem to know it comes from the title of a 1967 movie in which a team of hard-core convicts are sent on a suicide mission to kill the top Nazi generals as they tryst with their mistresses … apparently a long-existing military behavior. Only three made it back unscathed … but they succeeded. The Dirty Dozen were (fictional) heroes. Getting rid of the stuff on this list should not be make-believe.

Perhaps it would be best to be less “catchy” and just call such things devilish bad ideas once again.