ATLANTA (AP) -- When Gov. Sonny Perdue pitches in next week to help Gov. Charlie Crist of Florida in his bid to become a U.S. Senator, the gesture may be about more than helping out a fellow Republican in a tough campaign.

It's also a useful political favor when it comes to the three-state water war that has pitted Georgia, Florida and Alabama against one another for rights to water flowing from Lake Lanier.

As Georgia officials work to strike a deal before a federal judge's deadline that could cut metro Atlanta off from its main drinking water supply in 2012, the state is pulling out all the stops. Last, week, state legislators approved sweeping water conservation bills to show that Georgians were working to control their thirst.

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