Regarding Member Lands (MLs)
Q. What is the CAGRD? |
Q. I have a Central Arizona Groundwater Replenishment District (CAGRD) assessment on my property tax bill. What is this? |
Q. Do I have to pay the CAGRD tax? A. Yes. You must pay the cost of replacing the groundwater you use. This cost is included as a line item on your property tax bill and must be paid to the County along with your property tax payment. The County then transfers that money to CAGRD, who in turn purchases water that will be used to replenish the aquifer. |
Q. How does the CAGRD determine what I have to pay? A. Each year, the CAGRD determines its total replenishment obligation for all of its members. This obligation results from groundwater delivered to CAGRD members. You pay the cost of replacing the water you used. The CAGRD then determines the total cost to meet the replenishment obligations in each AMA and divides that total by the number of acre-feet of replenishment obligation. This results in a replenishment rate that is charged against each member based on the volume of groundwater that the member used. |
Q. Why is the CAGRD assessment on my home different from my neighbor's? |
Q. How can I reduce the assessment I have to pay to the CAGRD? |
Q. I have a CAGRD replenishment assessment on my property tax bill, but my sister does not. Why? A. There are several possible explanations. First, new water laws became effective in Arizona in 1995. Therefore, if your sister's house was built prior to 1995, there would be no replenishment obligation for water delivered to her home. Second, if her home was built after 1995, she may be located within the service area of a water provider that has enrolled as a Member Service Area of the CAGRD. If this is the case, then her replenishment assessments are collected by her water provider along with her monthly water bills. Third, her water provider may not be delivering groundwater to her home. If this is the case, then there is no replenishment obligation and, consequently, no assessment. Finally, her water provider may have the capability to perform replenishment services itself. If this is the case, then there would be no CAGRD replenishment assessment, but it is likely that the water provider's costs of doing its own replenishment are included in its monthly water rates. |
Q. How can I get my home out of the CAGRD? |
Q. Is my water bill affected by membership in the CAGRD? A. No. The costs of replenishing groundwater delivered to your home are paid through the assessments collected by the County along with your property taxes. |
Q. How does the CAGRD know how much groundwater I used? |