Water Meters on Wells: Pennsylvanians only

RoyJackson · Jul 27, 2002

My wife was telling me there was a move to put water meters on privately owned wells in Pennsylvania.
Anyone (from PA) heard of this nuttiness? Or which politician came up with this idea?

cstocks · Jul 27, 2002

Actually I don't think this idiot idea is confined to PA, Roy. I recently heard the same thing was being considered in one of the counties on the west side of the Houston area. I guess the powers that be will eventually figure out a way to charge us for the air we breathe.

RoyJackson · Jul 27, 2002

I know several states are getting desperate for revenues (PA being one of them).

Taxing my well? On my property?????

I see where there's a movement in Nevada to legalize, regulate and tax pot (maurijuana). Hmph! Maybe that's a good idea.

cstocks · Jul 27, 2002

Careful! You may open a can of worms with that last statement!

rancar · Jul 27, 2002

Roy...

<font color=blue>"...there was a move to put water meters on privately owned wells..."</font color=blue>

What would be the rationale for this apart from attempting to tax your water use? Would they also levy a use charge for the amount of water you would draw? Things like this I would think are covered in the annual property taxes you pay. This sounds like it's a form of double taxation. You're paying annual property taxes, with your private water supply being part of your property. Then, you're slapped with another tax on the water supply itself. Legally, there's something that sounds fishy about all this.

Bob

beenthere · Jul 27, 2002

Sounds like this tax might be for those who have their own well but are using the public sewer system - and this is a means to determine how much to charge for the sewer usage. I know this is a way our local cities and villages do it (albeit their usually is a push to get homes onto both the sewer and water at the same time when they are available). This might be a move to accomplish the change-over (I would be one who would prefer to keep my own well instead of having to drink the chemically treated village water).

turnkey4099 · Jul 27, 2002

Can't speak for PA but it was a for serious proposal in WA a few years ago. I don't know what ever happened to it, but I still have none on my well. The rationale seemed to be tied up with the EPA and water board to monitor ground water availability and safety. Yes, they were talking about charging for the water use.

Harry K

rancar · Jul 27, 2002

Harry....

<font color=blue>"...rationale seemed to be tied up with the EPA and water board to monitor ground water availability and safety..."</font color=blue>

It seems amazing and almost laughable that our government agencies are the only ones who seem to be in the know when it comes to knowing whether or not private well water is safe to drink. Why don't they just ask the homeowner? I've been drinking my own private well water for 20 years. Before that it was my grandparents drinking it since 1951. We have never gotten sick from drinking it. In fact, it tastes better than city provided water that I have to drink at work. Now, EPA may come in and say to me we need to check your water to see if it's safe for you to drink. But, we have to tax your use for all our labors and efforts. Makes one wonder what our government agencies are really working for...maybe to justify their existence.

Bob

karmakanic · Jul 27, 2002

What if your neighbor was a large bottled water company who sank a well and started pumping out millions of gallons of water a week? That lowers the water table and your well goes dry. This has happened to a couple of communities here in texas.

I haven't heard of any plans to put meters on private wells here in Texas. And this being Texas, we probably won't hear of any plans soon, since we have a real fear down here of government restricting anybody's "rights".

But I do know water rights are going to be a real hot topic over the next few decades, and somehing is going to hafta be done to equalize access rights.

Anybody been following the Bass brothers buy up of water rights around the country? Those guys know what's happening, we're fixing to reach the end of cheap water.

Dave Perry aka karmakanic

Anonymous Poster · Jul 27, 2002

Haven't heard anything regarding Pa yet, but the child mollesting govenor (ok so he did marry her) of Maryland has done it. Very interesting concept, he has there, TAX EVERYTHING.
Supposedly it's a water conservation measure.
Next year they are planning to fit small personal meters to determine how much water you return to the system.