If you have an option to choose between different Local Water Utility Companies, government or community run, you might want to consider certain facts in your choice. Things to be aware of regarding Local Water Utility Companies: If an area is serviced by a community water system and a government sponsored system (rural or city) seeks to come in to the area to also offer water, you should be aware that you will likely have a water meter put on your property though you may not currently have one. There will, of course be a fee for this. If you decide to leave the property, whether to put the property up for sale or simply to leave for an extended period, you will likely have an ongoing water bill, since water companies don't necessarily observe the same courtesies as other utility companies with regards to suspending service. Also, community run Local Water Utility Companies may allow unlimited water for one fee. Many Local Water Utility Companies that are run by the city or county will charge you a minimum monthly amount and an additional fee for exceeding a certain number of gallons. In addition, the minimum fee they charge you can be significantly more than a locally operated and supported community water system, even as high as three times as much. Government run Local Water Utility Companies may also resort to saying they will charge four times as much or more for the cost of a water meter if you say you want to go on their system after their construction crew has vacated the area. This tactic has scared many people into joining government run Local Water Utility Companies, many of whom later left the system in favor of their own community based system. Of course, to get off the government water system the homeowner had to pay another fee to have the water meter removed. Federal and state laws require Local Water Utility Companies to do water quality checks every year. These involve checking for maximum contaminant levels of radio-nuclides and microbiological and inorganic contaminants. Checks for metal contaminants are also made.
