Recently, the decrease in the number of farm households in rural areas has resulted in difficulties in the maintenance of irrigation and drainage canals which run through settlements. Changes in lifestyle, degradation of water quality and lack of flow in canals have been the main contributory factors in the decline of multi-functionality of water use. In this study, residents' perception of the multi-functional roles of irrigation water in the Kohoku Region was evaluated through a questionnaire, which included questions related to the contingent valuation method. Furthermore, measurements of water quality and flow in the canals through the settlements were conducted. The results indicated that residents' appreciation of irrigation water in the upper settlements was different from that of the lower settlements; however, there was little difference in appreciation between farm households and non-farm households. It seems that it is of paramount importance to promote better residents' understanding of irrigation water as a common asset in order to address the maintenance problems of canals.