>The manner in which collective ownership can often provide cheap >and simple solutions to problems is illustrated by the water >supply systems in the small town in which I live. >The town was settled in stages. At first there were not enough >people to set up a municipal water supply. Settlers as they came >in started co-operatively owned but quite informally structured >water systems. Most did not have enough money for individual >wells so each person chipped in so much money and a well would be >dug with lines running to each >members property...These systems still survive many decades after >they were begun. Are you on the Ogallalla aquifer?