[Avodah] If you have an electronic water meter, can you turn on your faucet on Shabbos?

[Lisa Liel]

On 8/1/2012 4:26 AM, Marty Bluke wrote:
> R' Micha Berger wrote:
> "I would be happier if PVWC put the meter on a timer and gave me my 
> water for free on Shabbos. Therefore, helping them bill me is lo nicha 
> lei."
>
> And I would be happier if when I cut off the chicken's head it 
> wouldn't die, but it will.

Would you really?  I think not.  You want the chicken to be dead.

> The same thing applies here, the water company is billing me for usage 
> and when I turn on the faucet the meter will record my usage on 
> Shabbos. When I come to turn on the water faucet on Shabbos, we can't 
> deal with hypotheticals but the facts as they are right now and right 
> now I want the meter to record my usage so I will know how much to pay.

If I'm not mistaken, when we entered Kenaan, Yehoshua made us accept 
certain rules.  One of them was that water was no one's property.  So 
I'm not sure that paying for water is anything but an undesirable necessity.

Lisa