I think the idea is that the gardeners haul water until the seedlings get started, and then rely on rainfall and mulch.

Let me think like the city council:
1 - How would the water be metered?
2 - Will the spigot be in an area where it is freeze-safe, and protected from vandalism.
3 - Since the garden has been there for years without a spigot, why do you sudddenly need it?

The community garden I belong to just started this past summer. We did not have water initially, and had to bring in our own water (I used two 5 gallon water cooler bottles), but mid-summer, a well was dug, water was found, and a hand pump was installed.

Next year, we will not have to bring our own water.

That said, it really wasn't so bad, I didn't think, having to bring my own water. I had a 20' x 25' plot, and could *just* cover it all with 10 gallons of water (another 5 gallons would have been great, but probably a bit more than I needed).

How much does water cost in your area, and how are you going to pay for it?

My water bill for my rather small garden runs about $50 a month in the summer. If water is expensive in your area, I can see how the taxpayers don't want to give you free water in this economy.

I suggest that you find out how much it costs to install a water meter, take up donations to pay for it.

Then get volunteers to dig the water line and install the line and spigots.

Then you can prorate the cost of the water every month and collect the money to pay the bill.

It's all do-able if you really would like to have water.

I installed a small gas water pump in a nearby creek. Ran it to a spot in the middle of our community garden . The cost was around $378.00. I charged our gardeners $25.00 if they wanted share in ownership of the pump. I covered the cost of the pump and set parts.
Everyone shared in providing gas. It worked well and should last Agee years .

I'm new to community gardening; this is the first year for me renting a plot. My garden provides water via 2 spigots and hoses that run through the center of the garden. Gardeners can then connect their own hoses at various points along the central lines to water their plots. I was just curious how you all water your plants? Do you use soaker / drip systems, sprinklers, etc? I like the idea of having water available, but I don't look forward to connecting/disconnecting hoses every time I want to water my plot. I've also heard that the pressure may be too low to run a sprinkler. The sprinkler would be a waste anyway. For those without water lines, do you stockpile water in buckets, then water using a watering can?

Just trying to get some perspective.