Who Owns Water?
North Carolina is experiencing a drought, like much of the southeast. What this means is that people are simply using more water than normal and less rain has fallen than the average. And this has caused government to absolutely panic, ranging from pleas to throwing aside all laws and fining people without evidence, proof, or due process. But now government wants to go even further, including regulating the water on your land. And this isn’t just water flowing across your land, like people living on a river, but water that flows under your land that you might tap with a well.
Apparently a number of people, in order to keep their lawns green, have decided to drill wells to take some water from the ground and put it, well, back on the ground. And the government doesn’t like this, mainly because it takes some control and power out of the government’s hands. Therefore, the government in Pinehurst and Union County are seeking to stop people from drilling wells on their own land and taking water from the ground and putting it in the ground — because it’s for the children. I mean, for public safety.
Now I’m not geologist, but I’m not really sure how it’s bad to take water from the ground and put it back into the ground. Sure, it might reduce the overall water table a tiny bit, but I can’t see it having a huge overall effect. But even so, who owns the water on and under your own land? Can the government claim the rights to all water under land that you own? If they can, what’s the difference from claiming any element, mineral, or natural resource that sits on land you “own?” I’d love to hear opinion from anyone on either side of this issue support or oppose government regulation of water underneath privately owned land.
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Me. I own water. . . any more questions? I dare someone to come to my land and claim my water. You own surface and below surface rights in the land you own. Including all minerals except, in most cases, coal. Legally, no one can come onto your property and take what is yours and this includes coming in from somewhere else and snaking out your water.
The government in North Carolina appears to disagree with you, Oddy, and the county is asking the state to pass a law that allows them to regulate that water — it’s for the “public good,” you see, so they think they should do it…
Next thing you know, it will be “regulating the air you breath”… for your own good of course! Is it just me or are they all sounding insane!!!!
Yeah, they already do that in CA. You can’t smoke in your apartment because the smoke might escape and “bother” someone else.
California… First in Socialism and Weirdos! LOL!!! I hope someone from CA does come on here and take me seriously! LOL!!! I’m Kidding!!!!!!
You are right, they’re ridiculous when it comes to implying that taking away rights of individuals and perfectly acceptable as long as you say it’s for the public good. I think this falls in line with what was posted earlier…
It’s a common theme for today’s Democrats/leftists/socialists/environmentalists/communists.