Water Usage:
In a world of claims like “climate change” “carbon footprints” and “global warming” sparking new regulations like “cap and trade” it’s no wonder Americans are growing tired of the environmentalists and others saying, “the sky is falling.” With questionable scientific proof to back up their claims one can only speculate what political agendas are truly being pushed.
I believe that clean water is a necessity and as such is a valuable resource worth protecting. With that said, let’s move deeper into the conversation about how the subject of water usage may fit into the world of political agendas. Here are my thoughts regarding the water under our feet and the rights associated with it.
Where does your water come from?
For those of you who get your water from a municipal source, such as City Utilities, do not own the water you consume, it is brought to you by a pipe, and it belongs to the government entity that you make out your monthly check to. You are entitled to it as long as you pay for your consumption. Failure to pay your bill may result in your loss of rights to that water supply.
Missouri is a riparian state (1). Meaning, when you own land you own a bundle of rights associated with that land. Including all of the resources inside of your boundaries from the center of the earth out to infinity. This would include the water underneath your feet. This comes with a great deal of responsibility too, because, you are likewise held responsible for its care. City folks also have these rights, but they do not or are not, allowed to utilize these resources by ordnance.
To have drinking water in the rural areas a landowner must punch a well deep into the ground. This is a costly endeavor. The average residential well only pumps around five gallons per minute and a new well in Greene County can easily cost thousands of dollars. Additionally, there will be the need to maintain the well, and it takes electricity to operate it. Therefore, a private residential water well is not a free resource nor, is the water it produces public property by legal definition.
The notion that this element of private property is eligible for government monitoring or metering is an intrusion on personal property rights. The belief that under the unfounded assumption, the resource is depleting gives the government the “right” to attach a device to “monitor” your consumption is invasive. Even if the intent is simply to monitor the water level below ground, the rights of private land ownership must be observed. If government entities believe it is their responsibility to monitor the level of water in the aquifer, why wouldn’t those entities take it on themselves to drill their own observation wells? Perhaps, the true intent is to put in place the infrastructure to impose a tax in the future.
I believe, the placing of meters on private residential water wells is nothing less than the groundwork for the future implementation of taxation and restrictions of usage, which I oppose. At what point will government regulators deem it wasteful to fill a swimming pool or wash a car? When will they say a family of four is only allowed 400 gallons a day usage? These concepts are rooted in the foundations that are being laid today. And as long as Missouri remains a riparian state, where the law say’s a residential landowner has the right to pump as much water as they want, I will defend that law.
- Riparian: a right (as access to or use of the water) of one owning riparian land.
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