Article 1. Powers Generally of California Water Code >> Division 13. >> Part 5. >> Chapter 2. >> Article 1.

Each district has the power generally to perform all acts necessary or proper to carry out fully the provisions of this division.

A district may acquire, plan, construct, maintain, improve, operate, and keep in repair the necessary works for the production, storage, transmission, and distribution of water for irrigation, domestic, industrial, and municipal purposes, and any drainage or reclamation works connected therewith or incidental thereto.

A district shall not contract for the construction of irrigation works nor construct the irrigation works by employees of the district, if the cost of the construction is paid out of the proceeds of bonds of the district, until an election has been held to determine whether or not the bonds shall be issued.

A district may contract to perform and perform any agreement for the transfer or delivery pursuant to Chapter 5 of this part of any irrigation system, canals, rights of way, or other property owned or acquired by the district in exchange for the right to receive and use water or a water supply to be furnished to the district by the other party.

A district may enter for the purposes of the district upon any land.

A district may take conveyances, contracts, leases, or other assurances for property acquired by the district pursuant to this division.

(a) A district may execute, by its president and secretary, all contracts and other documents necessary to carry out the powers and purposes of the district.
  (b) The board of a district may delegate and redelegate to officers and employees of the district, under the conditions and restrictions as shall be determined by the board, the power to bind the district by contract and execute contracts on behalf of the district.

A district may commence and maintain any actions and proceedings to carry out its purposes or protect its interests and may defend any action or proceeding brought against it.

A district may commence, maintain, intervene in, compromise and assume the costs of any action or proceeding involving or affecting the ownership or use of waters or water rights within the district used or useful for any purpose of the district or a benefit to any land.

A district may commence, maintain, intervene in, defend and compromise actions and proceedings to prevent interference with or diminution of the natural flow of any stream or natural subterranean supply of waters which may:
  (a) Be used or be useful for any purpose of the district;
  (b) Be of common benefit to the land or its inhabitants; or
  (c) Endanger the inhabitants or land.

The board of a district whose corporate area, in whole or in part, is included within a metropolitan water district may in any fiscal year declare its intention to pay out of its district funds the whole or a stated percentage of the amount of taxes to be derived from the area of such metropolitan water district within the district as such amount of taxes shall be fixed in the next succeeding fiscal year by resolution of the board of directors of such metropolitan water district. District receipts from any source, including assessments, acreage assessments and standby charges, may be used to pay said metropolitan tax. A district may provide for the levy, collection and enforcement of any district or improvement district assessment, acreage assessment or standby charge for the payment of said metropolitan water district tax in the same manner as other district or improvement district assessments and standby charges.

In addition to and as an alternative procedure to the levy and collection of assessments and standby charges, a district may fix and collect acreage assessments in an amount determined by the board for each acre of land and for parcels less than one acre within a district or improvement district. These acreage assessments shall be levied only for the payment of the whole or any part of a metropolitan water district tax. The resolution fixing the acreage assessment shall be adopted by the board only after adoption of a resolution setting forth the schedule of such acreage assessments proposed to be established and after notice and hearing in the form and manner prescribed by the board. The acreage assessment shall be levied, collected and enforced in the same manner as provided in Article 4 (commencing with Section 35470) of this chapter for standby charges.

If there is more than one tax code area for the levy of said metropolitan water district tax within a district, an improvement district may be formed in the manner provided in Chapter 4.9 (commencing at Section 36410), of Part 6 of this division for any or all of said tax code areas for the purpose of providing for the payment of the whole or part of the metropolitan water district tax attributable to any tax code area. After the hearing on the resolution of intention as provided in Section 36415, or as said hearing may be continued, the board may by resolution order the improvement district formed. Thereafter in any year the board may elect to pay, from receipts, assessments or standby charges or any combination thereof levied exclusively in said improvement district, the whole or a stated percentage of the metropolitan tax for the next succeeding fiscal year attributable to the area within said improvement district, provided, that it takes similar action with respect to all other said tax code areas.

A district may disseminate information to the public concerning the rights, properties, and activities of the district.

The Irish Beach Water District may acquire, construct, and operate facilities for providing fire protection to the district and its inhabitants, including buildings, engines, hose, hose carts, or carriages, and other appliances and supplies for the full equipment of a fire company or department. The Irish Beach Water District for the purpose of providing fire protection services may exercise any of the powers, functions, and duties which are vested in, or imposed upon, a fire protection district pursuant to the Fire Protection District Law of 1987, Part 3 (commencing with Section 13800) of Division 12 of the Health and Safety Code. If the district includes any part of a city, fire protection district, or other local agency which provides fire protection service to any territory in the district, or if the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection provides fire protection service to any territory in the district, the district shall have no authority pursuant to this section regarding the prevention and suppression of fires in these territories, unless the district has obtained the consent of the city, fire protection district, other local agency, or the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. The provisions of this section are necessary because of the great need for fire protection services within the area of the Irish Beach Water District. There is no other local governmental entity willing to provide this service to the people of the district. This problem is not common to all districts formed under this division. It is therefore hereby declared that a general law cannot be made applicable and that the enactment of this section as a special law is necessary for the solution of problems existing in the Irish Beach Water District.

(a) In order to enforce the provisions of any ordinance of the district, including an ordinance fixing charges for the furnishing of commodities or services, or to enforce any district rule or regulation adopted by the board of directors pursuant to Section 35421 or 35423 pertaining to the sale or distribution of water, the district may correct any violation of an ordinance of the district or of the rule or regulation. The district may also petition the superior court for the issuance of a preliminary or permanent injunction, or both, as may be appropriate, restraining any person from the continued violation of any ordinance, rule, or regulation, of the district or for the issuance of an order stopping or disconnecting a service if the charges for that service are unpaid at the time specified in the ordinance, rule, or regulation.
  (b) The district may enter upon the private property of any person within the jurisdiction of the district in order to investigate possible violations of an ordinance of the district or law, rule, or regulation described in subdivision (a). The investigation shall be made with the consent of the owner or tenant of the property or, if consent is refused, with a warrant duly issued pursuant to the procedures set forth in Title 13 (commencing with Section 1822.50) of Part 3 of the Code of Civil Procedure, except that, notwithstanding Section 1822.52 of the Code of Civil Procedure, the warrant shall be issued only upon probable cause.
  (c) The district shall notify the county or city building inspector, county health inspector, or other affected county or city employee or office, in writing, within a reasonable time if an actual violation of a district, city, or county ordinance is discovered during the investigation.