Finance & rates

Drainage boards have the advantage of being locally based, providing a local service to the community with locally elected members in control.

The members are elected directly by landowners, or their nominees, within a district, all of whom pay drainage rates to the Board, or are elected councilors nominated by a district council to serve on boards within its area.

Apart from the income raised through the rating of agricultural land, the boards serve a special levy on district councils reflecting the benefit received by domestic and industrial property in the district, and can also recover sums from developers in order to carry out works necessary to ensure that the presence of the new development does not create flooding/drainage problems.