Tragedy of the commons

Alright, so it's not really hard to see that this article has to do with economics, but the comments are still pretty amazing. One problem with command-and-control regulations is that people always find a way around them so you end up with a hodgepodge of seemingly strange rules (aka, current fishing regulations). If you limit the number of boats that can fish, people will just use bigger boats.
In this case, if you limit what people can do with city-supplied water, people will just dig more wells and get their "own" water. The problem, which is eventually identified by the 8th or 9th comment, is that water shouldn't be free. If it is, there is no incentive to save some for your neighbor. Digging a well and paying for the electricity to pump the water does not cover the cost of the water itself.