Roosevelt Water Conservation District
Who is responsible for an irrigation leak on an RWCD delivery system?
The Roosevelt Water Conservation District states that its system ends within a few feet of the RWCD delivery gate, and that from there the neighbourhood system is the property and responsibility of the neighbourhood and its landowners. That makes a leaking ditch or directional gate a neighbourhood matter rather than a district one, with one consequence worth knowing about.
Reading the bill
Non-potable water, ordered by volume
RWCD delivers non-potable irrigation water to neighbourhood systems through a delivery gate rather than metering it to individual homes.
Because the water is delivered to a neighbourhood rather than to a house, there is no meter at your kerb measuring what reached your yard. What is measured is what left the district's gate, and what happens to it afterwards is the neighbourhood's business.
RWCD's charging structure has two parts: a recurring flat monthly service charge, and a volumetric charge based on the acre-feet ordered, with categories set annually for agricultural, subdivision and construction use. There are separate per-order fees for late orders, unscheduled runs and cancellations.
So the arithmetic that matters is not how much water reached your plants but how much you ordered. Water that leaves the ditch on the way is water you ordered and paid for.
The cycle
Ordered delivery by delivery
Orders are placed through RWCD's online account, through the paper sign-up sheets in neighbourhood board boxes, or by phone, each with its own cut-off relative to the pick-up date. Missing a cut-off is the commonest reason water does not arrive when expected, and it is worth eliminating before anyone suspects a leak.
Where it changes hands
A few feet past the delivery gate
RWCD's own answer is that its system ends within a few feet of the RWCD delivery gate, and that beyond that point the neighbourhood system belongs to the neighbourhood and its landowners. It also puts the duty plainly: you and your neighbours are responsible for guiding the complete amount delivered from the delivery box to your property.
Guiding it is the operative word. A ditch that loses part of its flow on the way to the far end of a run is not a delivery failure, and it is not going to be treated as one.
How a loss shows
What a losing neighbourhood system looks like
| What you see | What it suggests | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| The far end of the run gets less than the near end | Loss along the private ditch or lateral | Walk the run during a delivery and look for where it leaves |
| A directional gate weeping between deliveries | A failed seal on a private gate | Photograph it and raise it with the neighbours |
| Ordered water did not arrive at all | Possibly an ordering cut-off rather than a leak | Check the order and the cut-off time first |
What they publish
What RWCD credits, and what it does not
RWCD is explicit about this. It issues credit where it does not send the water it was supposed to deliver from the delivery gate, in the quantity and at the time scheduled. Water misdirected or left unattended after the gate, and therefore not reaching your property, is stated not to be RWCD's responsibility.
There is a second consequence worth knowing. Where RWCD identifies a problem in the privately owned neighbourhood system - its own example is a leak in the ditch or a directional gate developing a leak - it can set a deadline for the repair, and reserves the right to put the delivery gate and the private system into a dry-up if it is not resolved. Finding and fixing a private-side leak is therefore not only about water.
Billing questions are between you and your provider, and what they do about them is theirs to decide. Our part is establishing whether the property is losing water and where, in writing.
Straight answers
RWCD questions
Where does RWCD's responsibility end?
Within a few feet of the RWCD delivery gate. Beyond that point the neighbourhood system is the property and responsibility of the neighbourhood and its landowners, and RWCD states that guiding the delivered water to your property is down to you and your neighbours.
Will RWCD credit water lost in our neighbourhood ditch?
RWCD's published position is that credit applies where it fails to send the scheduled water from the delivery gate. Water misdirected or left unattended after the gate is stated not to be its responsibility. Ask the district about your own situation.
What is a dry-up?
Where RWCD identifies a problem in a privately owned neighbourhood system, such as a leaking ditch or directional gate, it can set a repair deadline and reserves the right to put the delivery gate and private system into a dry-up if it is not resolved.
Our water did not arrive. Is that a leak?
Check the order first. RWCD's ordering routes each have their own cut-off relative to the pick-up date, and a missed cut-off is a far commoner explanation than a leak.
Tell us what the water is doing
Where along the run the water stops arriving, and what the ditch or gate looks like during a delivery.
Photograph the run mid-delivery
Where water leaves a ditch is only visible while the ditch is running.
5.0 on Google
What customers in the Phoenix valley have written. The words are theirs, on listings we cannot edit.
“Humberto has been amazing! Prompt, professional, and patient. He has gone above and beyond, taking the time to show me how to operate the water valves and educating me so I can continue to monitor for future leaks. He identified multiple leaks and made thoughtful recommendations.”
“Beto was very professional, thorough and patient in explaining everything he was doing and why. It was an excellent and well worth it experience, and this is saying something for an architect who had a hundred questions!”
“The owner and operator of this company is everything a contractor should be. On time, honest, competent, reachable, comprehensive. Hope to work with him again in the future.”