A company for furnishing water to the public is subject the visitatorial power of the state ; Com. v. Russell, 172 Pa. 506, 33 Atl. 709.
An existing system of water supply in a municipality which is the property of private individuals and is operated under a contract with the municipal corporation, is private property which may be acquired by eminent domain; Long Island W. S. Co. v. Brooklyn, 166 U. S. 685, 17 Sup. Ct. 718, 41 L. Ed. 1165.
A statutory provision that all water com panies must furnish free water to their mu nicipalities does not constitute a contract to which the municipality is a party., The state may relieve the water companies there from and permit them to furnish water at reasonable cost; Boise Water Co. v. Boise City, 230 U. S. 84, 33 Sup. Ct. 997, 57 L. Ed. 1400.
The right which a water company acquires by a lease from a riparian owner and not by the exercise of eminent domain is no greater than the right of the riparian owner ; Philadelphia & R. R. Co. v. Water Co., 182 Pa. 418, 38 Atl. 404.
A regulation requiring a consumer to pay a month's rates in advance or in default thereof the company will shut off the water or requiring the consumer to pay at the end of the month the rates for the preceding month or in default the company will shut off the water, has generally been held rea sonable within the power of such public service corporations ; Tacoma Hotel Co. v. Water Co., 3 Wash. 316, 28 Pac. 516, 14 L. R. A. 669, 28 Am. St. Rep. 35 ; Shepard v. Gas Light Co., 6 Wis. 539, 70 Am. Dec. 479 ; Williams v. Gas Co., 52 Mich. 499, 18 N. W. 236, 50 Am. Rep. 266 ; State v. Board of Duluth, 105 Minn. 472, 117 N. W. 827, 127 Am. St. Rep. 581; Cedar Rapids G. L. Co. v. Cedar Rapids, 144 Ia. 426, 120 N. W. 966, 48 L. R. A. (N. S.) 1025, 138 Am. St. Rep. 299. The rules of some companies seem to require one month's payment in advance while others have required a quarter's payment in ad vance. It has been held, however, that a requirement that a consumer pay one year in advance is unreasonable; Rockland W. Co. v. Adams, 84 Me. 472, 24 Atl. 840, 30 Am. St. Rep. 368 ; also that where the water has been shut off from the consumer for default in the payment of rates when due, he can not be charged $1 for turning the water off and on ; American W. W. Co. v. State, 46 Neb. 194, 64 N. W. 711, 30 L. R. A. 447, 50
Am. St. Rep. 610. A company may not re fuse to supply water to a consumer upon payment of rates in advance as required by the rules of the company merely because he refuses to pay a disputed bill, or to pay past due water rates for some other and inde pendent use, or at some other place or resi dence, or for a separate or distinct transac tion from that for which he is claiming and demanding a water supply ; Crumley v. Wa ter Co., 99 Tenn. 420, 41 S. W. 1058; Wood v. Auburn, 87 Me. 287, 32 Atl. 906, 29 L. R. A. 376 ; American W. W. Co. v. State, 46 Neb. 194, 64 N. W. 711, 30 L. R. A. 447, 50 Am. St. Rep. 610 ; Covington v. Ratterman, 128 Ky. 336, 108 S'. W. 297, 17 L. R. A. (N. S.) 923 ; or until unpaid rates of a previous owner are paid ; Turner v. Water Co., 171 Mass. 329, 50 N. E. 634, 40 L. R. A. 657, 68 Am. St. Rep. 432. A public service corpo ration cannot safely be invested with an authority which will allow it to become both judge and jury in the determination of a disputed claim on it by a consumer ; Wood v. Auburn, 87 Me. 287, 32 'AU. 906, 29 L. R. A. 376.
Municipal corporations operating water works may require consumers to use -water meters put. in at their own expense ; Cooper v. Goodland, 80 Kan. 121, 102 Pac. 244, 23 L R. A. (N. S.) 410 ; Shaw S. Co. v. Lowell, 199 Mass. 118, 85 N. E. 90, 18 L. R. A. (N. S.) 746, 15 Ann. Cas. 377 ; State v. Gosnell, 116 Wis. 606, 93 N. W. 542, 61 L. R. A. 33.
In State v. Jersey City, 45 N. J. L. 246, this rule was upheld, but the right to charge the cost of meters to consumers was denied.
When required by franchise ordinance "to furnish water to users," a company must de liver it at the property line and a mandamus issued ; Cleveland v. Waterworks Co., 69 Wash. 541, 125 Pac. 769. A water cannot be compelled to furnish taps free without assurance of continual use; Public Service Corp. v. American Lighting Co., 67 N. J. Eq. 122, 57 Atl. 482; State v. Water Co., 49 Wash. 232, 94 Pac. 1080; San Diego Water Co. v. San Diego, 118 Cal. 556, 50 Pac. 633, 38 L. R. A. 460, 62 Am. St. Rep. 261. They may require a deposit or other assurance that they will be paid for water furnished ; Cedar Rapids G. L. Co. v. Cedar Rapids, 144 Ia. 426, 120 N. W. 966, 48 L. R. A. (N. S.) 1025, 138 Am. St. Rep. 299.