City or well water?

[ejb]

Well I am pretty sure I can't control what goes into the city water either, and there is defintely no guarantee that it is healthy...sure there are lots of laws that they are *supposed* to be tested but the town not 6 miles from my house was cited every year for over 5 years for providing contaiminated water to its water users...and they all had the privelege of over paying for that water that in my opinion was to putrid to drink.

I also read somewhere down south there was a city water system that hooked up the city sewer to the city water and even when bits of paper starting showing up in peoples sinks they didn't take the complaints seriously.../w3tcompact/icons/shocked.gif...I am pretty sure that won't be happening at my place/w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif.

I am sure there are some decent "city" water providers, but all things being equal, having my well in the middle of 175 acres that I *do* control, gives me a lot better feeling than taking whatever comes out of the pipe that the government gives me.

As far as taxing my well...I doubt it...maybe someplaces, sometime, but IMO, not my place and not anytime soon.

 

[wasabi]

<font color=blue> My prediction is water is still our most precious resource. </font color=blue>

As usual, I concur with your opine, Egon!....and predict it may well (no pun intended), in our lifetimes, trade on a par with oil, if not in price, at least on comparable availabilty basis!

 

[gws]

There is not now nor has there been a water shortage in the world. There is simply poor usage of the water we have.
Take California for example. They are always whining there is not enough water, Evertime I am there I see little signs on the restraunt tables, water by request only due to water shortage.

I see these signs as a I set and overlook the pacific ocean. How many Desalinization plants does CA have? One left over from WWII that serves one of the little islands off the coast.
Why isnt there more. If the arabs can bring water to the desert then CA can bring it to to the city as well.

I still prefer a good drink of well water over a processed water source.

 

[MarkV]

There are so many regional variations it depends local conditions. Down here in Atlanta we are on our fourth year of water restrictions and the bills keep going up, the yards are brown and the water police fine you $500 for watering a garden on the wrong day. My father-in-law just drilled a well because his water bill, in a rural community, was running $300+ per month. (fancy landscaping and garden)

If I could get 18 gpm at 250’ and the local well water was good that’s the way I would go. Guess I just like to be as self sufficient as possible in a changing world. The most common problems with wells, pressure, power outages and quality can all be overcome if not to extreme.

MarkV

 

[dummy]

Another pennies worth. Our local health department mandates that any existing wells on the property (that they know of) be filled and capped when a connection to city water mains are made. Cross contamination is their preferred term. On another note, isn't reverse osmosis supposed to be harmful to non-pvc piping?

 

[gws]

Kind of convient for them. Connect you in and keep you from going back.

>Another pennies worth. Our local health department mandates that any existing wells on the property (that they know of) be filled and capped when a connection to city water mains are made.

 

[wasabi]

<font color=blue> There is not now nor has there been a water shortage in the world. </font color=blue>

Gary,

With over 70% of the earth's surface covered by water, your statement is, on the surface, correct. It is also true that nearly any water source, even sewage, can be made potable with enough filtering, processing and/or, in the case of sea water, desalination. The issue I was referencing is that of accelerating costs to extract, process and transport water to end users.

Take a current developing southeast situation by way of (one) example. Atlanta, a rapidly growing metropolis, derives virtually all of its water from a freshwater river that eventually winds its way to the gulf. Current drought conditions aside, it is projected that, by the year 2020, there will be NO fresh water left at the "end of the line". This creates far-reaching ramifications for the estuaries and affects salinity of the formerly "blended" waters of the gulf, which affects wildlife, etc. States downstream of those who tap more than their fair share understandably take issue with such usage. Litigation, restrictions and attempts to manage will, thus, proliferate.

While it may be true that water, as the ultimate renewable resource, will technically never run out, that does not mean that procuring, processing and transporting it will remain "easy". Quite the opposite.

My prediction is simply that the combination of degradation and/or depletion of aquifers, increasing use of groundwater (which affects replenishment of aquifers) and continual rising aforementioned potable water processing costs will produce inevitable restrictions and complications going forward, and that water will ultimately, (perhaps) in our lifetimes, trade on a par with oil, if not in price, at least on comparable availabilty basis!.

Water may well be ubiquitous, but I'll nonetheless stand by these observations and invest accordingly.

 

[edt]

Hay Dummy how about a back flow preventer too stop cross
contamination we have ours at work tested by state and our plumbers once a year

 

[tdenny]

dummy,

We too have the "rule" that if you hook up to the municapal water then you have to cap your existing well.

As in MarkV's case - the water bills around here can easily go into the hundreds of dollars if one waters their fancy yard and gardens all the time. As I mentioned before here in the Seattle area water is PLENTIFUL.

Additionally someone commented about governments taxing and/or regulating private wells in the future. Their are rumblings about this happening soon out here. It is somehow related back to the Salmon population. How convenient.

I agree that water is our most valuable resource but I really like the fact that I am self reliant in this area - at least for now.

 

[gws]

wasabi,
Again its with utilization of the water. People have chosen to ignore the issue, not build the water genration facilities. They instead raise the rate to keep people from using it. Doesnt change usage and just puts more money in the utilities pockets.. If Atlanta is running out of water, WHY are building permits being issued for new homes that will not be able to be serviced. Why do they issue permits to install sprinklers. Why not ban all watering of lawns. People want natural looking lawns... FOLKS Natural looking is often brown in the summer.