Collecting rainwater now illegal in many states as Big Government claims ownership over our water

You know it's bad when you get taxed to breathe, break a law when collecting rainwater, go to jail for dancing in public, go to jail for smiling at a police officer (personal experience), all while slowly getting stuffed into overcrowded prisons like cattle slowly getting executed by our our kind? Just a matter of time before the first one.

Well, that leaves two options. Either they aren't our kind (aliens are T.P.T.B.?), or humanity has reached that point where a new kind needs to take over, because I don't think change will ever happen.

Originally posted by ChaoticOrder

Host: So what about the little guy, watering with rain water at home? Will anybody do anything about that violation of the law?

Official: If she really does do that, then she ought to have a water right to do it.

Host: Are you going to make an issue out of that?

Official: No we have bigger fish to fry.

Lol. That is so ridiculous. Obviously they can see the absurdity of this law if they aren't going to prosecute minor infractions. I think once rain water lands on my property no one has the right to take it from me or charge me for it. It should be that simple. If I'm taking it from a river then it might be valid to say some one 'down stream' is being affected, but in this case the logic fails. I'm glad I don't live in America, because I'm sure they would try to do something about my water tank. I don't pay anything for water, it all comes from rain water stored in the tank. No added chemicals and no cost.

edit on 30-12-2011 by ChaoticOrder because: (no reason given)

The opposing argument may rather be that you are in the river, by the fact that you are in a watershed area. Out west that can be a large area and everyone in it shared the rights to the limited water that gathered from the rains. So, to gather rain water and not let the others in the area benefit of it, as in equally, is taking it from the whole. So to speak. Now with all the people, it has become pointless to haggle over a few buckets of water used on the property anyway.

I'd look out for what's in the water from the pipes. if they give their voice for enforcing a thing such as this, means that they do not want you to use what they can not control. and that's odd.

Thats one of the silliest things ive ever heard,but sadly im not surprised.

When will be stop it though,when we are hungry and thirsty? fighting for survival?

Probably...

I'd look out for what's in the water from the pipes. if they give their voice for enforcing a thing such as this, means that they do not want you to use what they can not control. and that's odd.

Yes i agree,Narcissous,that is very strange,but what don't they want to control these days?
They contaminate our water anyways...

Originally posted by PrecogPsychicSensitive
Whats next? paying for the oxygen we breathe?

I guarantee you that's coming. Right now it's called "Cap & Trade", but if that doesn't pass by 2016 there will be some other clever name for it.

Originally posted by PrecogPsychicSensitive
Australian farmers who collect rainwater in their dams have to pay every year... its complete BS.. How can the government tax something they dont provide? Whats next? paying for the oxygen we breathe?

All farmers and anyone who uses tank water pay tax on it.

The theory is that Rain Water falls and goes into the ground and becomes part of the water table and therefore is taxable by the state government ans semi-government bodies like Melbourne Water, as any water flowing in rivers, collecting in catchements is their property.

Water falling as rain becomes their property when it enters the waterways and therefore catching the water before it reaches the ground (where it becomes their property), is essentially stealing the water that would become theirs.

The key to their ownership is not for the water its self, but for the land it sits on. Waterways are "owned" by Melbourne water (even if that waterway passes through Private property). Ten Meters on each side of a waterway belongs to the water company..!! Anywhere that water collects is the same. Dams, Catchements and lakes all belog to the company. Any puddle Swimming pool or man made hole in the ground also applies to this rule. It isn't the water its self that is owned, but the catch is that MW can (and often dose) claim land where water collects, thus making the water theis!!!

In other words, they are morons.. claiming ownership of a resource that should rightfully belong to anyone and everyone. One argument that can be used is that animals drink the water from rivers and lakes and fish live in it... Why are they not taxed also or prevented from drinking...lol

reply to post by muzzleflash


I'm waiting for the day they takeover the ocean waters or all rivers and lakes and swamps and whatnot.I mean they could sell bits of the ocean to people and that will be the only way to fish in it.

So in other words there will be no trespassing floaters everywhere,just like land,but with the ocean!

Originally posted by GodIsPissed
reply to post by muzzleflash

 

I'm waiting for the day they takeover the ocean waters or all rivers and lakes and swamps and whatnot.I mean they could sell bits of the ocean to people and that will be the only way to fish in it.

So in other words there will be no trespassing floaters everywhere,just like land,but with the ocean!

In Australia, this rule also already applies. The Westernport Catchment Athority, Melbourne Water and other like entities hav made it illegal to remove and distil Ocean water. Even if one were to set up a floating water purification plant outside the national waters line, any fresh water that is pumped across land instantly becomes a waterway and claimable by the state government....

Well, I think in most cases these bans on Rainwater collection are being PUSHED for by big corporations. Government itself doesn't seem to have any cohesive will or vision beyond re-election and individual polticos feathering their own nest.

Oil companies and other conglomerates like Halliburton are investing heavily in fresh water. Either as a way to keep certain factory productions up -- or they intent to "make a killing" when they force states to Privatize fresh water supplies.

Of course the BLAME will fall on Government and the SOLUTION will of course be; make a Business distribute water efficiently. When you only have ONE PIPE -- don't fool yourself, it's ether government or its a monopoly.

In my state, there are about 7 gas company providers -- they all use the same contractors to turn on and off the gas and I doubt they all have their own gas tanks. It's just 7 flavors of marketing/billing companies providing nothing more than the ILLUSION of free choice.

reply to post by DelMarvel


I don't think you've gone off target at all. Corporate control of the government is what I believe to be behind legislation such as making it illegal to collect rainwater. I think with proper government control we could possibly escape the coming great water shortage. It's unlikely with more and more of our water being tied to corporate profitability. I don't see a future where water is scarce, but more of an unaffordable necessity. We all have a right to water.

I may at times seem callous for my attitude toward those who insist they are underpaid, or complaining about the rich folks, but I think I am often taken wrong. I developed my attitude because I live well below my means, and do not indulge in excess. I don't care if people can afford fancy electronic gadgets, precision automobiles, hip clothing, top recreational drugs, or giant houses, but I do care if people are denied the necessities such as very basic healthcare, simple shelter, nutritious food, or clean water. Making the collection of rainwater illegal is just another step in that direction.

Such laws sound about as effective as the 55MPH speed limit. It's only as good as it's enforced. If everybody and their cousin is going 75-80MPH despite the official posted limit being 55MPH, then what good is the law? Usually from what I've seen it's used to crack down on those being bad apples in other ways.

So if you don't make any problems with your neighbors, don't create any nuisances, and you keep any storage you have out of sight (Cistern? What Cistern? Do you see any big tanks or barrels around here?), then odds are pretty good that the man wont know any more than you're willing to tell him.

I'm sure this is likely the case and goes on a lot. I think most problems come up in fringe cases where people or businesses make it too obvious that they're using reclaimed water - like running a car wash or having an exceptionally green lawn during a drought.

Vote for Ron Paul.

reply to post by PrecogPsychicSensitive

Um, you ask what's next, paying for the air we breathe?
They are already trying to tax that in the form of a carbon tax.

Most folks already pay for their water, and these are old laws you're talking about here.
What would happen if someone bought up all the land surrounding a mountain and blocked the water supply? It would have long range effects on everyone who depended on that water supply downhill, and downriver from that mountain range. The problem here is that if everyone starts capturing their own rainwater, then that lessens the overall public supply in some areas.

These laws go back to the old west days of big cattle ranchers, farmers, and arguments over water rights.

Hahaha really? You think that rain belongs to YOU?

Unreal.

You do not own that rain water any more than you own the clouds floating above your land. This isn't an issue of personal freedoms, this is an issue of personal greed. "Mine mine mine muahahaha!!!".

You can't buy a section of river, dam it, and make your own personal lake. The results on the environment would be catastrophic... and would destroy many farmers lives.

"Big Government" isn't making a claim for "your water", it's protecting people downstream from being completely screwed over. That water you so arrogantly claimed as your own feeds into rivers and streams that other people depend on. But it's okay for you to run a families well dry because you want to hoard water? Laughable.

There's are a lot of laws that are completely absurd, but this isn't one of them.

Are people really this lazy in America? Really? ...You all complain CONSTANTLY about how hard you are getting rammed by the system but the best you can do to stop it is post on your blog/forum or host a 'peaceful protest'???

The whole world is watching and waiting...your country is going to completely disappear up its own ass, and you have nobody to blame but yourselves.

reply to post by ChaoticOrder
Look out oxygen is next!

reply to post by PrecogPsychicSensitive


If you own your land in Fee Simple, then they have NO right over what you do on your land. Councils are corporations NOT local governments, you can infact get out of paying rates if you so wish. Look up Fee Simple rights, you'll be surprised at what rights farmers have. In America though, they are all finished, it's a Corporate Government there, but Australia is still a Common Law country, use it.

Man what a load of bull, my brain is almost just about to explode after seeing this...

Is it not legal for you guys to buy a rain water tank for your house like we do over here in Australia?..... perfectly legal here to do so.... for now.....

reply to post by predator0187


When I first heard of this, a couple of years ago, I was outraged. I gave the old, "You sumsos n'sos think you can tell people what to do with rain water?" and shook my fist in disgust.

But then, I realized that they actually can do very little (outside of satellite surveillance) to enforce these types of laws. I plant large gardens and many plants that "steal" rain water, and there are many different ways to unobtrusively collect rain water.

The can try to regulate it all they want, rain is free.