# Water Meters on Private Wells . . .



## Kevin

This has been rumored off and one over the past decade but I can't really find out much about it. Has anyone of of you that have your own well on your own property, ever been contacted by your local political jurisdiction and asked to identify the number and location of your well/s? 

This what they would do as a first step toward mandatory metering. Just like mandatory gun registration is merely to let them know who to visit during confiscation. I can't find a single instance where this has happened yet in Texas but I hear rumors about it all the time. I would assume it's already happened in CA and Nev and other severe drought states but not sure.


----------



## Mike1950

No meters in Idaho or Washington but if well has been drilled in either state since 90's they know it is there. Permits. Also in Washington- the state already claims surface waters. If you own a small lake- you own the land under it but if they desire they get to control water in it. Remember they are only here to help you!!!------- That is help you empty your wallet.
I can see how in drought areas it probably is much worse- we have plenty of water.


----------



## ripjack13

Not in cornecticut....i have heard this though to be a rumor..

Oh...side note...new layout! Nice...no more default?


----------



## Tclem

I have a well I use for the pond but no meter except the electric meter when it's running. Lol


----------



## Kevin

ripjack13 said:


> Not in cornecticut....i have heard this though to be a rumor..



In Texas the landowner owns the water below the surface of his property and can pump without limit, unless it can be proven that the well is pumping from a subterranean river as opposed to a water table. It is even termed as "absolute ownership" so I was curious if other states which have ruled similarly have tried to force meters on the landowner to charge them for their own water. Surface water is generally owned by the state here but it is more complex since we also use the Riparian law, and surface water is not at issue for this topic. I think what we're dealing with is pretty much all rumor, but I wanted to throw it out there and see if anyone in those states that claim ownership of the groundwater below a landowners land, are trying to force meters on those private wells.



ripjack13 said:


> Oh...side note...new layout! Nice...no more default?



I'm having Matt scrap the custom theme to see if we can get rid of some of the bugs we've been experiencing. It'll have to be tweaked here and there.

Reactions: Like 1


----------



## Alan Sweet

An acquaintance of mine in East Texas says that there are some people in Austin pushing the idea that surface water can not be captured. I.e., like building a tank. "Capturing rain water creates unnecessary hardship on those in need of water." Interesting thought. 

I also hear that the center of the Earth is made up of grape jelly.

Reactions: Agree 2


----------



## Kevin

Alan Sweet said:


> "Capturing rain water creates unnecessary hardship on those in need of water."



Translation of what they are saying:

_The less dependent the serfs are on the state, the less control we have over them and thus less profit. _

I *do* understand "reasonable use" laws and they do not apply in Texas for a private well. I don't really agree with it but don't know what the solution would be. As it stands, what we have is referred to in slang as "biggest pump" law. If my neighbor want to open a water bottling plant right next door to me and deplete the water table, I have zero recourse. I don't have to worry about that but there are situations where landowners have had their well pumped dry by large cattle operations etc. 

But in the example you cite, I agree that's outrageous. nothing more than bureaucracy run amok. I guess the thinking (if there is any) is that me capturing rainwater is keeping it from reaching the water table so I am robbing others. And I shouldn't be able to rob others without giving the state their fair cut.

Reactions: Like 1


----------



## Mike1950

In are state they shut down the deep drillers- agriculture-in the middle of the 90's. Next to my biz there was a driller- his drills never were in his yard till 95 or 96-then they never left. State-western part that has all kinds of water shut the drilling down. How they did it??? I do not know. Put him out of business and he had been drilling for 4 decades. East side of my state is 60-70% agriculture land.


----------



## shadetree_1

No meter yet, but I don't know, our problem here is the native americans claiming the rights to the water, we drilled our well in 1985 and the water rights where grandfathered to us at that time and now all the well owners in the northern half of the state that are in the Little Colorado River watershed and about half the cities in the valley surrounding Phoenix that depend on said watershed have been notified that our water is not ours anymore, but the way the goverment takes 100 years to do anything, I don't think I'll have to worry about it in my lifetime but my kids and grandkids may be in for a battle over it

Reactions: Informative 1


----------



## Mike1950

shadetree_1 said:


> No meter yet, but I don't know, our problem here is the native americans claiming the rights to the water, we drilled our well in 1985 and the water rights where grandfathered to us at that time and now all the well owners in the northern half of the state that are in the Little Colorado River watershed and about half the cities in the valley surrounding Phoenix that depend on said watershed have been notified that our water is not ours anymore, but the way the goverment takes 100 years to do anything, I don't think I'll have to worry about it in my lifetime but my kids and grandkids may be in for a battle over it




My FIL had a place at Indian springs- Phoenix bought all the farms water around him- the farms all disappeared.
The indians- big issue- they were granted I think a 1/4 of the colorado River but have never received it- in the end somebody will be paying big bucks for that 1/4. Last 100 yrs when SW population expanded was the wettest 100 yrs in the last 1200-at least that is what the tree rings tell us. Water has always been a problem in the west- seems problem is starting to come to boil. Don't worry though I have faith that our fearless leaders will screw it up big time.....

Reactions: Agree 1


----------



## Kevin

I just found a white paper by a Mary Sanger regarding water metering in Texas. It is not an official state dept. or anything but she cites her refercnes and it put me quite a bit at ease. Here's some relevant excerpts:

_*Meter Requirements* 
Across the country and in Texas, water managers at the local and state level are beginning 
to require specific users to install water meters. When requiring meters, groundwater 
districts and other water management administrators generally employ a user 
classification system that differentiates among domestic, industrial (business) and 
agriculture water use. Domestic groundwater users are rarely, if ever, required to install 
meters. For instance, the Texas groundwater districts that require the use of water meters 
exempt wells not capable of producing greater than 25,000 gallons per day – usually 
constructed for domestic use –from metering requirements. _

The paper mentions scenarios in other states such as Kansas, Nebraska, Georgia, and Washington but I think virtually all of it is relevant to industrial and agricultural only. This was the first thing I found that spoke directly toward privately held domestic wells in Texas.

http://texaslivingwaters.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/water_metering_in_texas.pdf

Reactions: Informative 1


----------



## NYWoodturner

No meters in NY - at least not on residential


----------



## LSCG

if someone from the Government wants to try and put a meter on my Family's well they're more than welcome to try but it'll be the last mistake they'll ever make.

Reactions: Like 1 | Funny 1


----------

