Article 3. Preferred Priorities Of Municipalities of California Water Code >> Division 2. >> Part 2. >> Chapter 7. >> Article 3.

The application for a permit by a municipality for the use of water for the municipality or the inhabitants thereof for domestic purposes shall be considered first in right, irrespective of whether it is first in time.

The application for, or the granting of, a permit to any municipality to appropriate water does not authorize the appropriation of any water for other than municipal purposes.

Where permission to appropriate is granted to any municipality for any quantity of water in excess of the existing municipal needs therefor, the board may, pending the application to beneficial use of the entire appropriation permitted, issue permits for the temporary appropriation of the excess of the permitted appropriation over and above the quantity being applied to beneficial use from time to time by the municipality.

When the municipality desires to use the additional water granted in its application it may do so upon making just compensation for the facilities for taking, conveying, and storing the additional water rendered valueless for said purposes to the person who constructed the facilities. The compensation, if not agreed upon, may be determined in the manner provided by law for determining the value of property taken by eminent domain proceedings.

In lieu of the granting of such temporary permits for appropriation, the board may authorize the municipality to become as to such surplus a public utility, subject to the jurisdiction and control of the Public Utilities Commission of the State for such period from and after the date of the issuance of such permission to appropriate, as may be allowed for the application to municipal uses of the entire appropriation permitted.