Putting 'city' water on a farm... lots of ???

[Oaktree]

Depends. Doesn't have to be "city" water, but it's a municipal water system, sometimes just a township, or small area. Aquifer contamination by either faulty septics systems or industrial contamination are quite common across America. Many times around here, developers will build housing developments outside of city limits, and run city water to them, with the stipulation that they won't fight annexation attempts in the future. Things like that.

In a way I wish I had access to "city" water at my last house. I don't think it was contaminated (never had it tested, but no ill results in 30 years living there), but it sometimes had kind of a swampy taste to it, and would stain the toilet, shower, etc. Mine was a shallow well, and believe it or not I considered myself lucky...neighbors with drilled wells had worse water than me!

Apologies for threadjacking (and a potentially stupid question), but when you say "annexation" I presume you mean a city or town pushing its limits outward into unincorporated area (or perhaps swallowing adjacent towns)? What would be the advantages/disadvantages to being subject to this, and do residents have any say in the matter?
Not something you see around here in modern times...what little unincorporated area exists is generally uninhabitable. I think it did happen in the 19th century and before...lots of neighborhoods that were once separate entities.

 

[MossRoad]

In a way I wish I had access to "city" water at my last house. I don't think it was contaminated (never had it tested, but no ill results in 30 years living there), but it sometimes had kind of a swampy taste to it, and would stain the toilet, shower, etc. Mine was a shallow well, and believe it or not I considered myself lucky...neighbors with drilled wells had worse water than me!

Apologies for threadjacking (and a potentially stupid question), but when you say "annexation" I presume you mean a city or town pushing its limits outward into unincorporated area (or perhaps swallowing adjacent towns)? What would be the advantages/disadvantages to being subject to this, and do residents have any say in the matter?
Not something you see around here in modern times...what little unincorporated area exists is generally uninhabitable. I think it did happen in the 19th century and before...lots of neighborhoods that were once separate entities.

Annexation is just that... the city expands its boundaries. There are some pros and cons to being in the city. Clean, safe water is one of them. Sewers. Fire protection is another. Paid fire departments VS volunteers. Fire hydrants! A huge plus. Of course, taxes go up, but so do the services. Disadvantages are subjective. Zoning regs can be a plus or minus, depending on who's ox is getting gored. Building codes. Code enforcement. You stand a better chance of getting some dilapidated piece of %^#@ house next door dealt with before it runs your property values down VS outside of the city where there is no code enforcement. Things like that. Generally better streets in the city VS in the county. More police presence, although around here, the county police dept is excellent and well staffed.

As far as who gets annexed and why, there's several reasons. Over the years a lot of it has been small neighborhoods with massive septic failures, no place to put new septic, and human waste in the well water. Also some perceived land grabs by the city for future development and future taxation. Don't want to go further into the details too much on that. :laughing:

 

[MH8675309]

"clean safe water" They are unable to get some types of medicine and birth control out of water once its been used and people are affected by the residue. The saying is - In New York city the water you drink has been through nine people already.

 

[MossRoad]

"clean safe water" They are unable to get some types of medicine and birth control out of water once its been used and people are affected by the residue. The saying is - In New York city the water you drink has been through nine people already.

The groundwater here is pretty safe. It's the river and Lake Michigan, where all the waste water goes after it has been through the humans that I'd worry about.

 

[DerbyRunner]

I would consider putting in cutoff valves every 100 yards or so in the event that you have a leak somewhere along your 1900 ft run. I had a lightning strike that hit a tree in my yard. The lightning ran down the tree, through the roots, and jumped to my irrigation lines and burst the pipe in 3 locations. 2 weren't so hard to find, but the 3rd was a beast. Troubleshooting a leak would be a lot easier if you can cut the water off and watch the meter on each section until you find the area of the leak.

Very good advice.