What’s In Store for This Drainage District Refund Check
Have you received your Grand Valley Drainage District refund check? Do you have big plans for it? Here's what's in store for my $85.90.
If you're like most Western Colorado residents who paid the $36 (or whatever it was) bill to the Grand Valley Drainage District, you probably received your refund last week. Yes, you could go out for a nice dinner. Then again, you could follow the Drainage District's suggestion and gift it back to them. I have other plans.
According to the Grand Valley Drainage District's office webpage, the organizations mission is:
Formed on September 7, 1915, the district is responsible for safely returning ground water, irrigation water and storm water to the Colorado River.
As a homeowner, I understand and appreciate how important this is. My main objection to paying the $36 annual fee involves the $75 per year I already pay for a detention pond in my subdivision. My street doesn't have a storm drain. The nearest storm drain is over two blocks away. We have a detention pond that collects rain and other water runoff. Those on my street already pay $75 a year for maintenance on that.
According to climatemps.com, Grand Junction receives an average of 8.6 inches of rainfall per year. The $75 a year I pay combined with the $36 for the Grand Valley Drainage District seems a bit steep. That's $111 per year to deal with 8.6 inches of rain.
So, I have my check. What am I going to do with it? I'm gong to put the money right back into my landscaping.
Each year I pay $40 for mandatory testing on my sprinkling system's backflow. This year, it appears the valve assembly on my system is broken. It needs to be replaced. Looking around, the cheapest assembly I can find is $71. So, to keep my sprinklers running this year is going to cost me at least $71 for the valve assembly and $40 for the backflow test, for a grand total of $111. What a coincidence.
That's my plan for the refund check. I'm sure you have big plans for yours, too.
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