Is access to potable water a right?

[wirednuts]

My comments were not about property rights, its about access to water.

The same can be said about collecting rain water off your property.

i dont really get what you mean. if the local laws said it is not legal for you to collect rain water then you cant collect rain water

 

[Texashiker]

i dont really get what you mean. if the local laws said it is not legal for you to collect rain water then you cant collect rain water

Rights supersede laws.

 

[nehalem256]

My comments were not about property rights, its about access to water.

The same can be said about collecting rain water off your property.

I would say you have an inherent right to water that falls from the sky onto your property.

 

[dmcowen674]

I would say you have an inherent right to water that falls from the sky onto your property.

No you don't.

Many municipalities have laws on the books that they own all water both above and below your home including water from the sky.

 

[wirednuts]

Rights supersede laws.

no, they don't.

 

[Texashiker]

No you don't.

Many municipalities have laws on the books that they own all water both above and below your home including water from the sky.

I think Colorado is such a state, collecting rain water is prohibited by law.

no, they don't.

Why do you think that?

States may pass a law that infringes on a right.

If access to water is a right, then states can not infringe that access.

 

[rudder]

So far the discussion has been on tap water, but what about access to water under your land?

Do land owners have a right to the water under their land?

If I want to put a well in my backyard and get off city water, shouldn't I have the right to do so?

Too many variables. Depends on the city and the water table. You can't just throw in a well and start pumping water out because that could potentially affect other people who rely on the same water table.

Same thing with rain water. There is a natural water cycle. If you start funneling a lot of rainwater into a big resevoir... it could affect the environment.

 

[wirednuts]

I think Colorado is such a state, collecting rain water is prohibited by law.




Why do you think that?

States may pass a law that infringes on a right.

If access to water is a right, then states can not infringe that access.

i, as an american citizen have the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. to me, that means killing anyone i see fit, right on the spot. in your opinion, that means i dont go to jail or put to death for it? because after all, it is what makes me feel free and happy....

 

[xj0hnx]

It must be nice to just not think and see the world in such black and white unrealistic terms. It's like a well tailored think tank approved fairy tale for narcissistic sociopaths. How cute.

Back to your commune moron.

 

[xj0hnx]

i, as an american citizen have the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. to me, that means killing anyone i see fit, right on the spot. in your opinion, that means i dont go to jail or put to death for it? because after all, it is what makes me feel free and happy....

Fail logic is not logic.

Your right to swing your fist ends at the tip of my nose.

 

[wirednuts]

It must be nice to just not think and see the world in such black and white unrealistic terms. It's like a well tailored think tank approved fairy tale for narcissistic sociopaths. How cute.

unfortunately it seems the internet generation has grown up learning that everything is one way or the other, no in between and discretion is a bad thing.

 

[wirednuts]

Fail logic is not logic.

Your right to swing your fist ends at the tip of my nose.

care to explain? im pretty dumb

 

[Texashiker]

i, as an american citizen have the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. to me, that means killing anyone i see fit, right on the spot. in your opinion, that means i dont go to jail or put to death for it? because after all, it is what makes me feel free and happy....

Fail logic is not logic.

Your right to swing your fist ends at the tip of my nose.

Yep pretty much.

Nuts, just because you have certain rights, does not mean you can infringe on my rights.

 

[wirednuts]

Yep pretty much.

Nuts, just because you have certain rights, does not mean you can infringe on my rights.

ohhh, why not? because there is laws against that

its such a dumb argument. rights are nothing if theres no laws to protect them

 

[Phokus]

Humans need shelter, water, and food (in that order) to survive.

Shouldn't that be water, food, and shelter? Pretty sure i can survive w/o shelter as long as i have food and water. Might as well throw in healthcare too.

 

[Texashiker]

ohhh, why not? because there is laws against that

No, not because of the laws, its because you can not infringe on my rights.

What does this have to do with water anyway?

 

[wirednuts]

Shouldn't that be water, food, and shelter? Pretty sure i can survive w/o shelter as long as i have food and water. Might as well throw in healthcare too.

i completely agree, but oh man would that turn into a 1000 page thread on anandtech

 

[her209]

If you want to live in the sticks, don't expect the nearest water company to extend their pipe to your house while paying the same rate as every one else that didn't choose to live there.

 

[wirednuts]

No, not because of the laws, its because you can not infringe on my rights.

What does this have to do with water anyway?

taking water from the sky or the ground can infringe on your neighbors rights to water. does that make sense to you?

 

[Texashiker]

taking water from the sky or the ground can infringe on your neighbors rights to water. does that make sense to you?

It makes some sense, but who owns the water?

Its not like my truck that I own the title to.

If you want to live in the sticks, don't expect the nearest water company to extend their pipe to your house while paying the same rate as every one else that didn't choose to live there.

Lets raise your water taxes to pay for extending the lines.

 

[a777pilot]

Water, food, shelter and clothes are not, repeat, NOT rights.

 

[xj0hnx]

care to explain? im pretty dumb

Yes, I've noticed, I'll try to keep it simple ...because killing someone interferes with their right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

 

[xj0hnx]

ohhh, why not? because there is laws against that

its such a dumb argument. rights are nothing if theres no laws to protect them

Laws do not protect anyone's rights, they set the frame work in which society protects people's rights. A law can't stop someone from killing you, or speeding, or taking a shit on your living room floor.

 

[nehalem256]

taking water from the sky or the ground can infringe on your neighbors rights to water. does that make sense to you?

From the ground it does. Because you an your neighbors might share the same aquifer or body of water.

However, if it falls from the sky onto your property, how can you neighbor have a right to it?

 

[wirednuts]

From the ground it does. Because you an your neighbors might share the same aquifer or body of water.

However, if it falls from the sky onto your property, how can you neighbor have a right to it?

where does ground water come from