Chapter 1. General Provisions of California Water Code >> Division 12. >> Part 9.1. >> Chapter 1.

This part shall be known and may be cited as the Costa Mesa District Merger Law.

The State and the people thereof have a primary and supreme interest in securing to the inhabitants, property owners and water users within the City of Costa Mesa, the Newport Heights Irrigation District, the Fairview County Water District, and the Newport Mesa County Water District, the greatest possible efficient use and conservation of waters, both local and imported, that may be accomplished economically. Investigation has shown that the water supply problem of the Costa Mesa area and of Orange County is peculiar to that area and it is hereby declared that a general law cannot be made applicable thereto. It is hereby declared necessary for the proper reorganization of water supply, storage, conservation and use that this part be adopted to provide the means of eliminating expensive and wasteful duplication of water systems and securing a greater economy and efficiency of administration.

The City of Costa Mesa was incorporated on June 29, 1953, primarily for the purpose of providing municipal functions and services, including the providing of a water supply to its area; the Newport Heights Irrigation District was formed on August 5, 1918, primarily for providing a water supply to its land and inhabitants; the Fairview County Water District was formed on October 5, 1946, primarily for supplying water to its lands and inhabitants; and the Newport Mesa County Water District was formed on July 26, 1954, primarily for the purpose of supplying water to its land and inhabitants and to replace the Newport Mesa Irrigation District; that there is an overlapping, in whole or in part, of some of these districts and total contiguity, in that all of the districts and the city form a single contiguous unit. The new Costa Mesa County Water District, if formed, will include substantially all of the City of Costa Mesa within its boundaries.

This part is enacted partially under the authority expressly granted in Section 13 of Article XI of the Constitution of this State.

This part shall be given a liberal construction for the purpose of sustaining any and all proceedings taken hereunder.

Nothing in this part shall impair or adversely affect any right of any bondholder or creditor of any of the districts involved in this merger or of the City of Costa Mesa.

For the purpose of accomplishing the dissolution, merger, and creation of the new district, the City of Costa Mesa may participate to the extent of transferring its water system and appurtenances and contributing its share of funds for the operation of the new district.

The name of the Costa Mesa County Water District as created pursuant to this part is hereby changed to the Mesa Consolidated Water District. Any reference in this part to the Costa Mesa County Water District shall hereafter be deemed to refer to the Mesa Consolidated Water District.