FAQ

FAQ About The Merced Irrigation District Water Resources

• Why is the District conveying urban drainage water?
• To whom does the District provide urban drainage services?
• Why should I pay an annual drainage fee to the District?
• Does my drainage water now go into a county- or city-owned and operated drainage facility? And am I already paying a drainage fee for that service?

Since the 1920s, agricultural lands have been converted to urban uses as cities expanded. In many areas the District surface water conveyance facilities continue to service the remaining farmlands.

With the generally flat terrain of this area, it has become even more important to convey urban storm drainage to natural creeks and rivers. The District facilities traveling through the urban areas became a natural point of discharge for urban drainage water.
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The District Engineering Staff has identified 14,442 parcels within Eastern Merced County that utilize the District facilities to transfer storm water from their property to natural creeks or rivers. These parcels are located in the cities of Merced, Atwater, Winton and Livingston, as well as many areas in Eastern Merced County. Included are residential, commercial, industrial, city, county, state and federal government property owners.
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The District has a typical residential fee of $12.30 per year for parcels utilizing the District for urban drainage conveyance. This revenue will assist in maintaining and operating the District facilities utilized for drainage. In addition, it will provide for analysis and study to ensure that these facilities can continue to be used for these purposes in the future.
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In most instances, drainage water from your property does go into a county- or city-owned facility. Any fees that you are currently paying go towards the maintenance and operation of facilities upstream to the District system.

These facilities only convey the water from your property to a pipe, basin or pump, which is then discharged into a District facility for conveyance to a creek or river. Without the District facility, this water would back up and flood property in the storm drainage area.
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