Amen. While not in a rural area, I was in Oceanside, CA when the call came to cut water usage by 20% - or else. Like you, we were already frugal with our usage yet were treated as if we were refilling a swimming pool everyday.
We did the “brick-in-the-toilet” and followed the “If it’s yellow, let it mellow” cutsey slogans. Well, water usage dropped so much, the utilities were losing money, and by law they weren’t allowed to, so rates went up - about that 20% figure.
I think I remember somewhere, when folks economized on toilet flushing, that the sewers kind of dried up/plugged up, due to too much solids.
Don’t recall any more detail.
Unintended Consequences.