Rural Water - Quarter 2, 2008 - (Page 16) underground water would become a major factor in Western water development. The typical Western town would therefore come into being near a dependable source of water, with the water being diverted from the source through ditches. The ditch water would be used both to water individuals’ gardens and as the drinking From the moment the farming of Western land began, a new system of assigning water ownership had to be developed to solve disputes. The system that evolved was vastly different from that used in the Eastern portion of the nation, where water is plentiful. water supply. The town might or might not have a first priority for the water source, depending upon if a farmer or farmers had established use of the water prior to the formation of the town. Often, especially in Utah, the community would form a “mutual water company,” with all citizens being shareholders in the company. Water held by the company would be allocated among the shareholders according to their needs and according to water availability. If water for all at one time was not available – which was usually the case – a system of taking turns would be worked out so that each would get his share. Stealing water out of turn then became the ultimate water crime, one at which many became adept and one that could be the predicator of a shovel over the head when caught in the act. Over time, many of these mutual water companies evolved into community drinking water systems with pressurized pipelines, treatment and storage facilities. The widespread availability of the centrifugal turbine pump motor beginning in the late 1950s, along with the availability of dependable electrical power supplies, changed water use in the West dramatically. Large amounts of water were now available from deep underground by a means that was cost-effective and could deliver the water pressurized for use. The quality of much of this underground water was such that it provided a much safer source of drinking water than any surface source and without the cost of treatment. The same principles that had applied in water rights law now had to be applied 16 • Second Quarter 2008 © Ondagoarts | Dreamstime.com
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