Here in NE Iowa the thugs at the USDA are jamming a rural water system down our throats. Small town has always had abundent supply of high quality water from private/shared wells. Getting lots of BS song and dance from the rural water system and USDA and few real numbers/guarantees. Now getting into real arm twisting about letting them in (on a 40 yr franchise).
What experince have members had with rural water systems? Stable prices, service, quality etc.?
Edited 6/28/2002 1:45:53 AM ET by neiowa
Replies
Your local gov. want to build a bigger TAX base
Only know 1 story first hand. Granfather-in-law dug 6 ft dia 1xyz feet deep in the '30s on his farm near Snohomish WA., now a development boom area. 100's gal/min. A few neighbors asked and received hookup in 40's and 50's. By the time mid-1990's came, there were dozens of new houses on "his" system, and dry well periods occured due to "city-folk" thinking there was unlimited supply. He was very happy when local minicipal water district took over. Never had any "quality" problems.
Unless your system is your "cash cow", let'em have it.
Thye put one in just south of the town I live in. I think most of the people were thrilled to have it - A stable water supply that doesn't dry up. No wells to go dry, pumps to quit or freeze up, etc.
They got a grant to help with the cost, so the individual homeowners weren't hit too hard. I haven't hear a single complaint since it was put in. The only complaint I remember was that it didn't get installed quickly enough.
Is it weird in here, or is it just me?
No wells to go dry, pumps to quit or freeze up, etc.
where does the water come from? delivered by gravity from the IL mountains?
not to be contentious, I have a well and only second had experience with the type of systems debated here, and the second hand experience is good, if you like treated, soft water - reliability will be as good as the people and equipment running the utility - bills will come reliably each month, if it's a growth area, (and I expect a water utility to encourage growth) then competent design to avoid early obselecsence would be a concern, and I would expect good quality, professional consideration from the USDA - howz the septic situation? - that's the next logical step once the water utility is in place - if NE Iowa is a place wells are low yield or go dry, then there is arguement to be made that the local lifestyle should reflect that fact, rather than mining a scarce resource so that homeowners can have their green 3 hole golf course (actual experience from CO) -
not a lot of info in the first post, but unless someone messes up royally, a water utility should be somewhat more reliable than the electric utility (with tanks on the hills, pumps can be down for short periods without interuption of service) and subject to similar maintainance/renovation considerations - initial cost to get water will be reduced, monthly bills slightly higher than operating a well system, when change is needed to the system you'll find out how prescient the organizers were -
had a thought as I was working this morning - one thing rural water systems do is open up possibilities for heavy users - confinement animal operations, etc - that way everyone gets to subsidize the infrastructure that makes such operations possible - just who is pushing for this locally? - just a thought -
NE Iowa has abundent good quality water @ average of 80' in our area. A typical well by a quality driller is down 200ft. A large 7" with large pump will deliver 200gpm indefinately.
No one locally is pushing for it. Is being jammed down our throats. My little town has run our own sewer system for 25 years with no particular problems, water system is easier. The push is from UDSA who reportedly is still marching on a mandate to provide "municipal water" to EVERY address in the US. Funds for this are still flowing under the new "farm" bill. USDA has $, they are going to spend them. Their solution to the "we're from the federal gov't and we're here to help you" issue is rural water systems. Cost no object. The system plan in my area is to cost some $5,500,000 to service 261 homes (if they can get/force everyone to sign up). $951,000 is to get it to my town.
We could build our own city system that also includes REAL fire hydrants for around $400,000. But USDA says they won't allow us access to their pot of toothfair provided money (tax dollars) under the same terms give the rural water systems.
The industrial farmers already have big wells and could never afford to purchase water from these guys. 500 head of cattle at 50+ gal/day adds up fast.
I'm interested in the cost/quality opinons of those that have rural water now. Up to now most of these systems were built in areas that had water quality or quantity problems. In general those problem areas are done. Now the intent is extend the same gold plated Cadillac system (with a 3 cyclinder engine) to ALL the rest of rural America.
Obviously you are so dumb (<G>) that you do not ralize taht the govmt and mr. Daschle knows whats good for you better than you do. (sorry , tommy is from the state north, me so dumb dont even know IA senatorial social direktors!)
Cost comparisons:
Well, my son is across the street few blocks away on municipal water system, some kids turned on water while they were away on vacation, = $400 water bill, had to pay or be shut off. If it was me on my well, it would have been about $10 in extra power bill for running the pump.
Boss/animal farm stuff re. previous posts:
Got cousins north of Boss in Beardstown IL, drill 40 ft to sand over bedrock and > 500 gpm any day. One 2nd cousin runs 1000's of head pig farm - good needed water cheap, then mixed with "other stuff" -- aunt says " that's the MONEY smell"
That would be Comrade Senator Harkin headline guy for the new "Farm Bill" which contains all the money for this rural water pork.