A water plan passed by the U.S. Senate will not limit Georgia's water use from two federal reservoirs, a restriction sought by lawmakers in Alabama and Florida.
The Senate voted 83-14 on Wednesday to approve legislation authorizing a number of water projects nationally.
A long-running water dispute in the Southeast provoked a political clash over the bill.
Alabama Sen. Jeff Sessions backed language in the original bill that would have limited how much water metro Atlanta and North Georgia communities could take from two federal reservoirs without getting Congressional approval.
Georgia Sens. Johnny Isakson and Saxby Chambliss had that restriction struck from the final version of the bill. Georgia officials feared the proposed restriction would limit water use from Lake Lanier and Lake Allatoona.