KID, like other irrigation districts in the United States, has a water right that allows users a certain amount of water per acre per year.   The defined amount of irrigation water per acre per year is due to the beneficial use requirement tied to the water right, along with the crop irrigation water requirements.  Irrigation water is measured in “acre-feet”.  One (1) acre-foot is the amount of water it would take to cover one acre of land one foot deep.  That converts to 325,851 gallons per acre.  Every irrigable assessed acre of KID land is entitled to 3.5 acre-feet of water over an irrigation season of about 7 months (with the exception of Red Mountain, which has an annual irrigation water allocation of 1.5 acre-feet/acre).  Irrigation water overages that exceed the annual 3.5 acre-feet/acre of water are charged to the property owners at an “excess water rate”.   KID publishes the excess water rate with the KID Rate Resolution each year.

KID measures irrigation water delivery on many of the larger agricultural deliveries.  But, not all of KID’s irrigation water deliveries, especially in the urban areas, can be feasibly and cost effectively measured at the individual property level.  In some of those urban areas, KID has the ability to measure for irrigation water overages at the irrigation canal turnout and can bill everyone served from that turnout based on their respective parcel acreages.  However, that is frustrating to the KID water users if they see that their neighbor is the one using all the excess irrigation water, yet they receive a bill for excess irrigation water use.  KID is still exploring the best alternative with how to fulfill its responsibility to charge people overusing the resource, but be fair and equitable to those where irrigation water measurement isn’t possible.  For now, if irrigation water is measurable to an urban area, KID will provide a report of usage during the year to the Water Master that has the authority to call in and request or shut off water delivered to that KID canal turnout.  KID is encouraging the KID water users to monitor themselves in using this precious and limited irrigation water resource.