$7 per CCF is not bad actually. SFPUC will be $10.71 per CCF (plus base charges). The trick for free/cheap water comes as follows: Most western states never

$7 per CCF is not bad actually. SFPUC will be $10.71 per CCF (plus base charges). The trick for free/cheap water comes as follows: Most western states never recognized riparian rights to water EXCEPT California (and maybe Oklahoma)! Needless to say this is going to be lawsuit land forever given how messy an approach that is. But under CA rules, if you have property touching a river, you can take that rivers water for various uses (not storing though). One "trick" though - ponds - if you can get some ponds onto the property that can help you use the riparian rights. https://www.landandfarm.com/property/Triple_Creek_Ranch-13724696/ https://www.landandfarm.com/property/Triple_Creek_Ranch-1372... Other approach's - do a well close to a water source - you can pump that water and store it, then use the water from the river itself directly for ongoing uses etc. The water deals in CA have historically favored the well connected. "The San Fernando land syndicate were a group of wealthy investors who bought up large tracts of land in the San Fernando Valley with secret inside information from Eaton. The syndicate included friends of Eaton, such as Harrison Gray Otis and Henry E. Huntington." Anyways, it's a fascinating world - I'd say the best way to get cheap water is to be rich and well connected. Nestle does 58M gallons of water off these old rights - which it sells for $1+ per gallon! Enforcement of the rules has been years and years of talk. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/apr/27/california-nestle-water-san-bernardino-forest-drought https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/apr/27/california-n... Talk about cheap water :) Again, if they just had a tax of $0.01 per gallon - you'd solve a lot of wastage issues for uses that make absolutely no sense unless water is basically free.