how much is water worth?

[bdog]

I bought my house and 5 acres from someone who owns 160 acres which they farmed and this house was on. They still own the other 155 acres which was at one time an irrigated cotton farm. They are elderly and decided to quit farming and thus sold me the house and 5 acres and got all of the rest of the land into CRP. There is a irrigation well that runs on electric that is about 400' from my property that works but they will no longer need. I am thinking of trying to make a deal with them to buy water (use of the well) to irrigate my 5 acres and plant a commercial garden probably watermelons. My house well can not handle it.

I have no idea what would be a fair price for the water. I don't ever see them using the well again, and watering my 5 acres is not going to put any kind of strain on this well that once watered 160 acres. Also I don't know if it matters but water is pretty easy to find here, nearly all the farms around us are irrigated, but the qoute for drilling a new well, the pump, etc is more than I can afford to spend.

I was thinking maybe offering to pay the electric bill for the well plus some multiple of the bill so that I am paying for what I use. What do you think? I pay the electric bill plus an amount equal to the water bill to them? I want to be fair to them, but don't want to overpay.

 

[JimR]

How about free veggies for them instead?

 

[Alan L.]

I'd say pay the electric and some more. Unless I'm wrong, I think you would be doing them a favor. Nothing worse for a water well than to sit idle.

 

[goodoleboy]

Now that know its worth something to you they will more than likely want top dollar.. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

I see the electric and maybe what the city or county charges per every 1000 gallons of water. Where we live it $2 for every 1000 gallons. Fairly cheap if you ask me.

 

[Egon]

If you do use their well best have a proper lease/easement document drawn up with all the details.

If this water will be used for irrigation for profit operation Yow don't want to lose it in the middle of a growing season.

It's legal advice time! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif And will probably be well worth the cost! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Egon

 

[EddieWalker]

My concern is more towards upkeep. What happens if you're using their well and it stops working? Will they blame you or hold you responsible?

 

[turnkey4099]

Were I the well owner, I would want it in a contract with everythign spelled out, rates, permissable useage, times (if it is noisy), and who maintains it.

Harry K

 

[v8dave]

You need to be concerned about access and costs after they sell the property. What if you agreed to pay the well costs and a commercial operation started up? What if it was sold and you were cut off in the middle of a growing season?

One more vote for legal advice.

 

[BillyP]

Why not just come out and ask him what he would lease the use of the well for? Lease it for X amount of years. That way if something does happen, you'll at least know when your water will be cut off /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

 

[bayoublue]

I have an 8" water well powered by a 6 cyl. JD deisel....if a rice farmer (on an adjacent field) wants my water, I pay for the deisel & the maintenance in exchange for 20% of his crop.