I live in a small borough out in the middle of the country. We have a well. Now the borough decided that we neew a 1.5 million dolar city water system. Of course I will have to pay for the installation. Prob. a couple thousand. Of couse we we still be able to wash our cars and water the lawn on a limited basis from our well. BUT city water ONLY must be used in the house. I am buying a house and am 21 years old. Money isn't exactly flowing around here.
Any ideas on how to fight this? Of course they don't send out any kind of letters telling people to come to the town meetings to discuss this. There are 150 houses. 1.5 million. A lot of people here have no money to spend on something that we don't need.:fire:
Is it constitutional? Can they FORCE me to drink their city water? My only question is why. The only think I can think of is that they found arsenic or something in the water. The figure I have heard is over 2,000 for it to be plumbed into the house. I can't afford it. I think I'm going to call a lawyer, and maybe try and rally up all the people who oppose it.
Any ideas would be appreciated.

Do you actually live in the city limits?

Unfortunately, there are precedents for what they are doing. They did it around here (thankfully to the other side of town) about a year ago. They forced everyone to pay for laying lines across their frontage, and then hooking up to the supply, not to mention the mothly water bill whether they used it or not. It sucks, but it has held up in court here (Pennsylvania)

it can probably vary from place to place, but i know when i bought my last house i was told i had 10 yrs as a new owner to hook-up to city water, and after that it was automatic (against my will) the people who bought it from me were told the same thing (it like a grandfather thing? but it starts over with each new owner), i sold the house 9 yrs to the day i bought it - so i didn't have to deal with it, but i heard the people that bought from me were just notified that the city is replacing all the sewer/water lines in the neighborhood this summer and the residents will be assessed even if they don't hook-up

My parents live in a community on the outskirts of town and the city is putting in water right now. It is going to cost them somewhere in the neighborhood of $13,000.00. They have to pay it because of the 'covenants' or rules of the area that they live in. They signed the papers and now they have to pay!!! I guess that's the price you pay to get away from the city.

I would try and talk to someone at the public works dept. I work in the engineering field and yes they can do that. Here they allow the wells to run dry, once this has happened and the utility is within a certain distance you are forced to make the connection and pay the meter fees and your percentage of the payback to the city or water authority. Are you buying a preowned house with the water fronting the property? If so make the seller pay for the hookup. That is what they have to do here BEFORE the house could be sold. Do you own water rights? If so they could be in the wrong. I'm no expert on water rights, but there should be something that you could use to fight it.

*lurk mode off*

I work for a water company in WV, and here public water cannot be forced on you. Public sanitary sewer service can, if you're within 300 feet of a main, and can hookup with a gravity feed.

These rules tend to vary from state to state, but one thing is common...they (WE) want you to hook up...someone's gotta pay for running the lines. My advice would be to contact your state public service commision and ask questions. If necessary, file a complaint with them. There should be a number in your phone book...it's usually under state government listings.

With that said....I know alot of people think public water is the spawn of satan, but with the levels of groundwater contamination all over the country it's pretty much the safest bet these days. And trust me, the monthly fee is usually pretty cheap compared to a well. Once you figure equipment maintenance, depreciation, and the costs of chemicals if you have to treat your well water the costs typically run $50-$100 per month in this area. And you're not guaranteed "good" water.

Do me a favor though...even if your bank hasn't required it (I've found most do before they will finance a home with a well). Contact your local health department and ask about having your well tested if you plan to keep it and drink from it...they'll either test it, or can put you in contact with a certified lab that'll do it fairly cheap. At least if is contaminated with something you'll be informed.

*lurk mode on* :)

Originally posted by Zeos
*lurk mode off*


.... the monthly fee is usually pretty cheap compared to a well. Once you figure equipment maintenance, depreciation, and the costs of chemicals if you have to treat your well water the costs typically run $50-$100 per month in this area. And you're not guaranteed "good" water....

I would have to disagree with you on this one from what I see here in PA. We are on a well, and we only have to run a filter and a water softener. The maintenanace costs on a well are almost nil, with the primary cost being replacing the pump when it goes bad. New pumps cost several hundred dollars, but they will last years, so the depreciation and amortization of the cost is very low. Our house was built in 1997 and so far the biggest expenses from our well has been replacing the water filter every two months ($7), salt for the water softener (maybe $2/month. We only have 12 grains of hardness), and the yearly water quality test ($30). That's a little over $6/month (+ some small portion of the electric bill to run the pump), which is WAY below what the city water would run.


If your water is "dirty" out of the well, you can put in a reverse osmosis system,uv system, and a filter and still come out way ahead financially compared to being forced on to a city system. Here, the frontage fee for the lines can run up to $25/foot, the initial hookup fee is around $3000, the monthly fee (NOT including your usage) is around $60, and you still pay for usage on top of that. We are fortunate here that we have no coliforms, no fecal contamination and no bacteria in our well.

My well servicing cost me 0 per year. All I pay for is the electricity to pump it out. As of the last water test our water is as clean as any well water there is. I just think it isn't right to FORCE something on a town and force me to pay an extra $60 on top of my water bill for three years. Money is tight. My well is good. $0 or ongoing water bill the rest of my life. I think this crappy little borough could find a lot more prudent way of spending 1.5 million. How about a tax break so maybe some business will come here and provide employment.
I imagine that I will be force, I just wanna go down fighting. I will contact the State Public Commision and see what they say. Thanks for the input.

Originally posted by JDraper

If your water is "dirty" out of the well, you can put in a reverse osmosis system,uv system, and a filter and still come out way ahead financially compared to being forced on to a city system. Here, the frontage fee for the lines can run up to $25/foot, the initial hookup fee is around $3000, the monthly fee (NOT including your usage) is around $60, and you still pay for usage on top of that. We are fortunate here that we have no coliforms, no fecal contamination and no bacteria in our well.

You guys sound pretty lucky up there. Around here, iron, manganese, and sulpher dioxide are common contaminants, along with the usual nitrates and fecal coliform :( Effectively treating these things gets quite costly....
It looks as if you guys pay quite a bit more for service up there as well. I live in one of the higher rate areas around here and pay around $25/month for service (up to 4000 gallons). The utility for which I work charges a little more than half of that ..heck, if we could get people around here to pay what you're paying maybe I could get a raise :)

At any rate...it sounds like you've got a good well there, unfortunatly they're becomming all too uncommon in alot of areas around the country ...mostly from agriculture runoff, MTBE, etc....it's really a shame...I used to go into the woods to a spring to get water when I was younger...unfortunatly, this isn't something I can now share with my children as the spring is now so contaminated the animals don't even want to go near it :(

We are lucky to have good water. The area we live in generally does. The worst thing we have around here is coliforms from farm waste, but most of us have wells in the 200-400 ft deep range, so we are clear of the contamination. That's why there is such a fight going on around here against going onto "city" water. The reason they put in water lines on the other side of town is the "rich" development and the developers were complaining that they would have no water when the power went down, and there were limits on how many houses could go in due to groundwater studies, so they forced the issue through (Money Talks) through the local legislature. The whole water line project only benefits about 2% of the area residents, the others don't need it. It's a political crock of S**t here.

We were hooked into the public sewage/water when we moved in, but lately have been thinking about having a well dug. It will need to be ~350-400 feet to get to really good water here at the cost of around $2000. If it all works out, we will keep our city water, turn it off at the main and use it only when necessary. If you don't use a gallon, you don't have to pay for it.

Well guess what I read in the paper today? It seems they are planning to do this in September, and its going to cost me a lump sum of 1,200 to hook into my house and 500 to the borough since it's going to be their system. And a monthly bill starting at 28$ + usuage. And the real kicker is that since"the wells may interfere with the city water we may be filling everyones well with gravel and capping them."
I am irate. Due to my SECOND rebuild on this POS Explorer trans, I'm in the hole 1,700. Now in a few months I have to come up with another 1,200. I'm f'ed. If you don't pay in full within 2 months they put a lein on your house. They can spend 1.5 million for something that is unneccesary, but they won't pay 400 a year to have the sidewalks in town plowed. Looks like I'll have to trip and break my neck in front of the Post Office. Someones going to pay for this.

I dont want to tell you what to do but there are some real benifits to a municipal water system. Most well users dont reguarly test their water and would not know if they are poisoning themselves. Fecal coliforms contamination is usually the sign of a improperly constructed well. In addition as more people drill wells and use the groundwater, the levels drop. This leaves people without water. The groundwater belongs to everyone here on the east coast (Riparian Rights). In Virginia we have just experienced a 50 year drought. Many wells dried up. People take water for granted. When it is gone you have never herd so much complaining. You are not likely to get a a 400-foot well for $2000. Wells are an excelent source of water. However they are not perfect. And yes I am a practicing civil engineer.

The city water is just going to come from a well right here so it's not going to solve any water shortage problems. We have never once had any problems with the well. For me (and lots of others) this is just not economically feasible.

When i lived in Michigan.... they put in the city water line and then we had to pay an independent contractor to 'tie us in' using a trencher and laying pipe.... city was basically giving us incentives to tie into the line.... not charging more... you got a bad deal man

I have a fair amount of knowledge in what you are facing. (not from an engineering point, but public policy) – this posting is long

Yes, they can force you to hook up based upon "public need". This allows them to distribute the cost amongst a greater group, which enables makes the long term debt obligation possible.

A couple of points.

These guys should be offering some sort of Financing program. If not, get a group of people to show up at the next meeting and demand the municipality/sewer utility/authority offer a plan. Demand a min. 3 year payment schedule (payments 2x a year) with no interest.

If you are forced to receive the service, make sure the municipality is responsible for installing the service in your house. Many will only run the pipe to your curb or just inside your house and then require you to hire a plumber separately.

There is worse crap in the ground than "dirty water" such are carcinogens (cancer causing agents) Check with the united states geological survey and department of environment protect to determine ground water contamination. Not only in your area, but within surrounding counties. Water Aqua ducts can carry contaminants a long distance. Even trace amounts over a long period of time can create problems. It might just be to your advantage to hook up now.

On a more sinister note. Demand the municipality create the operation as a utility fund under municipal control. Many municipalities create separate quasi-government authorities with commissioners that are appointed by the elected. They set up their own organizational structure and end up duplicating much of the management structure currently in place by the local government (big bucks and big political payoffs). If the municipality operates it as a utility fund(under municipal control) demand that none of the revenue collected under the water collection system fund other municipal operations. I.E. Water/Sewer purchases all the town heavy trucks and uses the vehicles for road repair. (municipalities are infamous for transferring money from the "water/sewer funds" to general operations effectively double taxing water and sewer users for services. Demand that the governing body adopts ordinances that prevent such transfers from occurring.

Ask to see the town's master development plan's and see if there are "other" reasons that they are forcing water hook up.

Finally, Call you state "local government services" department that regulates local governments. They may be able to assist you.

Put up a sign saying No one "lays pipe" at this house but me!

Was this water system put to a community vote? The Village I live in is finally getting sewars installed. Before anything could be done the residents had to vote on the issue of yes we want or no we don't want the sewars. Majority wins, everybody that voted no gets the sewars anyway.

"Was this water system put to a community vote?"

This depends upon your state financing laws. An established "authority" does not need the vote of the community. As far as municipal government goes, if they present the arguement that its for public safety, state finance law may also exempt the process from the voting process.

Let's face it, politicians are worthless.