The purpose of this Policy is to provide a means for the District to develop additional water rights to offset increases in water consumption due to new users being added to the system. New developments shall be required to provide Grand Valley Irrigation Company (GVIC) A / B shares and or pay a Water Right Development Fee based on the type and size of the development. If GVIC shares are not available to the Developer, the Policy provides an option to pay the Water Right Development Fee in lieu of providing the shares.    

The number of GVIC shares required for residential developments shall be based on the required raw irrigation water needed to match the potable water demand for the development. 

A reduction in flow due to change in use from “irrigation” to “irrigation, municipal, industrial, and other municipal purposes” based on Water Case No. 85 CW 235 of 45.6% shall be applied to the GVIC share.

 The GVIC share requirement shall be based on the following calculation:

Number of residential units per each GVIC share = (flow rate per GVIC share) / (design peak demand flow rate for a single-family unit) X (change in use conversion factor)

Flow rate per GVIC share = 0.0104 cubic feet per second (CFS)

Design peak demand flow rate for a residential unit is based on the following assumptions:

• 80 gallons/day/capita
• 2.72 people per single-family unit
• Peak flow factor of 2.2: Pleak flow factor converts average flow to the maximum day demand.
• Design max day demand flow rate = (80gal/d/pers X 2.72pers/unit X 2.2)/(24hr/dX60min/hrX60sec/minX7.481gal/c.f.)  = 0.00074 CFS per residential unit

Number of residential units per each GVIC share = 0.0104/0.00074 X 0.456 = 6.4

Rounding up establishes a value of one GVIC share per 7 single family residential units.

The requirement for GVIC shares for multi-family housing shall be as follows:

Three-bedroom units shall be assessed the same as calculated in section 3 above: one GVIC share per seven three-bedroom units or a fraction thereof.

Two-bedroom units shall be assessed one GVIC share per eight two-bedroom units or a fraction thereof.

One-bedroom units shall be assessed one GVIC share per nine one-bedroom units or a fraction thereof.

Each non-residential development shall be required to provide GVIC shares based on the developments design peak demand flow rate as follows:

Number of GVIC shares required = (design peak demand)/(GVIC share flow rate X change in use conversion factor)

Number of GVIC shares required = (design peak demand in CFS)/(0.0104 CFS X 45.6%) which equals (design peak demand in CFS)/0.00474 CFS/share

The design peak demand shall be provided by the Developer’s design professional and shall be based on the number of plumbing fixtures in accordance with the most current International Plumbing Code as adopted by Mesa County. 

A minimum of one GVIC share shall be required for each non-residential site that connects to the CWD water system. No GVIC shares shall be required for non-residential developments that do not connect to the CWD water system.

The CWD Board of Directors shall adopt a Water Right Development Fee every year in January. The fee shall be based on the average selling price of a GVIC share paid at the annual GVIC share auction held in the prior year. The most recently adopted fee shall remain in effect until such time as the Board revises the fee.

Developments shall provide GVIC shares and or a prorated portion of the Water Right Development Fee as follows:

1.       For residential developments that have less units than the number of units per GVIC share as determined above, a prorated fraction of the Water Right Development Fee will be charged. For example, a single-family residential development consisting of two lots will be assessed 2/7ths of the Water Right Development Fee; a 5-unit two-bedroom development will be assessed 5/8ths of the Water Right Development Fee.

2.      For developments where the equivalent demand is not an even increment of the number of units per GVIC share as determined above, the development shall be assessed one GVIC share per each even increment of the units per each GVIC share plus a prorated fraction of the Water Right Development Fee for the remaining number of lots. For example, if a single-family development consists of 23 units, the development will be assessed three GVIC shares plus 2/7ths of the Water Right Development Fee.

3.      Non-residential developments shall provide GVIC shares plus a prorated portion of the Water Right Development Fee based on the calculated design peak demand divided by the potable water provided by one GVIC share as determined above.

4.      In the event the Developer does not have access to the required number of GVIC shares, the Developer shall be assessed the Water Development Fee in lieu of providing GVIC shares.

5.      At the District’s discretion, the Developer may be allowed the option to provide a full GVIC share instead of paying a prorated fraction of the Water Right Development Fee required per sections 1 through 3 above. 

The GVIC shares or payment for the Water Right Development Fee shall be due prior to making any connections to the District’s water distribution system.