A major lesson of home ownership is that it is a continual fight against water. Keeping water away from places you don't want it, and keeping water in and available in the areas you do want it.
This is absolutely true. I think half of the home renovation projects I've done in my life have been to either move water, or repair the damage from where water ended up where it shouldn't be. These are never the fun projects, but in terms of protecting your property, probably the most important ones.