I know I've seen talk of this bill S.787 coming up on here before. I found a link http://capwiz.com/afb/issues/bills/?bill=13188571
where you can voice your opinion to your Senators, so have at it.

Doesn't look like this has a snowball's chance in hell of passing. Not many sponsors.

If it comes up and passes none of us will have control of our ponds or their watershed. The Gov will control all water from rain drops on mountain tops to the sea.

I have heard here in our area that they will start charging for water from wells, they we pay to have dug,they will add a meter after the well is done!! Talk about BULL S__T

I sure wouldn't want that! Can you provide a link? I'd like to see who is proposing that.

I was tempted to say something----- but I won't.

When I lived in So. Cal. I was told that same thing because "we use the underground aquafier to move water and you would be using it before we could meter it." Or something to that effect. Out there, you are charged a sewer rate for the amount of water used, whether you use it to water the grass or flush the toilet, plus an "X" amount per acre foot of water used.

Our water bills here in Mich are also that way Essup. We pay the sewer rate as well, even when used to water the grass. Someday we will be paying for the air we breathe. In fact, there are new water withdrawal regulations in place here in Mich., went into effect last year. I sat through the presentation, but pretty much fell asleep, it was so boring and did not pertain to me. Had something to do with 100,000 gallon per day.

We pay a sewage fee as a percentage of our water usage also.

As we have an irrigation system, we have a dedicated meter on that, so we are not charged sewage for the portion of water used for irrigation.

I agree, but it’s only a matter of time. I do believe in the next few years, Kansas will start taxing water wells.

I havn't read the "Clean watter act" and vill not do because it dosen't influence me here in Norway.
How ever I do haveto cope with the EC Water directive in wich is "the same".
The purpose off this is to secure CLEAN WATTER and that every boddy has ACSES and that is over all serving my purposes.
This means that if you are poluting watter, and/or are using watter in a comersial way,that has an impact on others you will have to pay the bill.
Beeing a outdoorsman that love nature I welcomed the directive in the EC/Norway.
So if this bill has the same intensiones and are used for that matter "clean watter" I realy don't understand that a pond owner would be against. My understanding is that if you are deepended on clean watter big scale like a pond owner, you would really benefitt bye a bill like that, are the politicians in The USA gone outlaw ponds or is the intentsiones to make it cleaner is my questione to you, are you now opposing to somethings that you actually will beeneffit big time from?????????????
PAUL

Ande,

The problem is many times these kinds of things start out with good intentions but are not always based on good science or end up being just a way to generate more revenue.

Case in point:

I can pump up to 500 gpm of water for my trout pond business with no consequences to my aquifer, although I pump much less at 45 gpm. However, that wouldn't stop a politician from applying the same standards here (taxing my well water or telling me I'm limited to so many gpms) that apply to drought stricken parts of the country where the aquifers are running dry, or there wasn't much ground water to begin with.

I wouldn't even be against generating more revenue for the government if it was put to good use and they weren't so wasteful. Many times our government throws a way billions, and instead of figuring out ways to spend less, they look for ways to generate more revenue. It's like giving more booze to an alcoholic.

And there is the fear that something like this is just a start, and will lead to more and more control of our private property. It's happened before and it can happen again. We Americans are very possessive of our private properties and rights and get nervous when someone looks like they want more control of us.

I know what you're tempted to say and you're probably right. However I'm looking for an actual link or website that shows me without a doubt someone is thinking of putting a meter on my well. Somethings these kinds of things get passed around or a group with a vested interest says something to get their base fired up (an even sometimes they are fabricated), but there is no concrete evidence that it's proposed.

[quote=Cecil Baird1]Ande,

Many times our government throws a way billions, and instead of figuring out ways to spend less, they look for ways to generate more revenue. It's like giving more booze to an alcoholic.
____________________________________________________________

If that doesn't just cleanly outline the way our national debt problems (and really all other problems here) are being solved now, I don't know what does.

I absolutely. understand thoose fares. and I think to a sertain exstent they are real.
Politicans all over the world tend to think/belive that they know better, its a kind of aroganse that comes with the job.
How ever I allso are of the belive that, laws are outdated all over the industrial world.
So there will come some changes, importante here is that people like you guys are activliy forming those laws, you have the knoledge, facts, sience and practical experience politicians will have to listen tou you.
Problem wery often is laws are passed do to feelings and not facts, and laws are more often harder to change when they are passed,but easy to adjust in the progres of their making.
Espescialy that is if your acting as a group with knoledge, instead of singel individuals.
No matter result I wish you guys good luck, and want to thank for good advice/informative archives. Pond Boss by far is the best forum i have found.
PAUL

And certainly California!

Yes if enough people become knowledgeable on a subject and get together in numbers it can make a difference. Unfortunately that doesn't always happen as sometimes we suffer from outrage fatigue or have enough trouble just making a living let alone keep up with all the issues.

I have seen cases where the politicians got their way by pushing something they want over and over again until it passes. Case in point is the local farmers and the county wanted to make a river a straight ditch to move water out as far as possible. It keeps going to court, the farmers and county lose, and then the following year they try and push for it again. Eventually they may get their way.

Water is too precious to entrust to an entity that has a proven history of incompetence.

.... not to mention theft , graft and corruption.

I have something to say about this subject, but I can't frame it in a non-political way. So, I (and I assume many more) remain in the silent majority forum-wise. Water is one of my favorite things.

Many bills end up in committee and die there. The strongest way to send a message to a senator or representative is a letter. Phone calls and e-mails don't hurt, but a letter in their hand has more meaning to them.
Remember the bill to register and tax all firearms?

http://www.snopes.com/politics/guns/taxreturns.asp

According to your link Stick it was bogus from the beginning. Did you read the Snopes link?

Amen to that!

Just a little example of govermnent waste.

A friend of mine is a Supervisor for a construction company in Chicago. They were paid a little over 2 million dollars in 2007 to renovate some low income housing in Chicago. This year that low income housing is being torn down, and the residents are being split up and moved out to the Suburbs.

Cecil, I am reading it different than you. I read that is was actually written by Reed, but never got anywhere.
esshup, If they split that money up between all of the posters on this forum we would all be a lot happier!!!

It isn’t about dividing up some pot of taxpayer money to make a select group feel happier, though that does have a familiar ring to it. It is about what is right and what is wrong.

The incompetence, ineptitude, and corruption in Washington smell about as bad as the United Nations, another corrupt fiasco ridden body that we mostly pay for.

Just saying I'd be happy with the cash instead of it being totally wasted. Didn't mean to get anyones ire up.

The people that might actually read a letter from a constituant would rareey consider voting for a bill like this. The ones that would vote for it could not care less what the people want/say. The vote this week along with comments like, "well-dressed, astro-turf protestors" pretty much proved, at least to me, a complete lack of desire to help, but rather to control people is abundantly clear.

Food and water are a basic human right, when the government can tax and control water from your own property, next they will tax and control the food from your garden.
Many people will sit by and give up their rights as long as the govmt. takes care of them, others will do something about it.

We put time and money into our ponds cause of the many reasons stated on this forum, but this freedom can also be lost. If you feel my position is overstated, stand by and watch.

I wonder how long before this post gets zapped.

The rumor that we would have to list our guns on are income tax forms, possibly pay a fee of $50.00 per gun and get fingerprinted was false. The tax was to be on manufacturers. One more of those phony emails that go around.

In Illinois, they recently passed House Bill 0170.
http://ilga.gov/legislation/billstatus.a...87&SessionID=76

The sponsor, owns several companies that will directly benefit from the legislation.
http://ilga.gov/house/Rep.asp?MemberID=1501

Here is an idea of what it means to homeowners...
http://www.owpi.net/documents/OWPI_Governor_Contact_Letter___Version_21.pdf

In downstate Illinois, surface discharging systems are necessary due to soil content (great for building ponds; but not much percolation).

The bill will delay the construction process and add greatly to the cost.

Many of the legislators pushing it were from northern Illinois. Most of the systems affected were central and southern Illinois. Many Chicago area legislators jumped on board; but Chicago reportedly routinely gets special permits to discharge raw sewage into the river.

Sound fair?

The Clean Water Restoration Act is just more of the same on the federal level.

AP, as long as it stays focused and reasonable, I don't think it will be moderated. This is a VERY serious political concern that really can't go unnoticed.

I'm confident all aspects of any posts made will be well thought out on this subject and I believe we will respect opinions and thoughts on it. There should be no reason for anyone to feel offended by anothers opinions/ideas.

Regardless of anyones political persuasions, if this passes it will seriously impact every single pond owner dramatically, not to mention anyone that ever wants to drink water.

Actually there was a bill to do just that. It didn't go anywhere & it was several years ago. The relative e-mail circulating now is however false. Nothing on that order is before congress now.

But the tax was for manufacturers not the gun owners. Not saying that is better though.

FWIW, manufactures/ businesses don't pay taxes----they collect them or add them into the cost of everything sold. The reality is, Consumers like you and me pay all those "hidden" taxes.