Article 5. Payment By And Collection From State Agencies And Public Entities of California Water Code >> Division 2. >> Part 4. >> Chapter 7. >> Article 5.

If the owner of the right is a county, municipality, district, political subdivision, public corporation, or state agency, or is public utility as defined in the Public Utilities Code, the department shall, on or before the 15th day of June of each year, serve each such owner named in the statement with a true copy thereof.

Service on such owners may be made personally, or by mail as provided by Section 1013 of the Code of Civil Procedure.

Each such owner shall, on or before the 10th day of December of the year in which the apportionment was made, pay to the department the amount apportioned to such owner. Unless payment is made on or before said date, payment shall become delinquent and 10 percent thereof shall be added thereto as a penalty for delinquency.

If the owner of the right is a county, municipality, district, political subdivision, public corporation, or state agency, the amount apportioned, together with the penalty in case of delinquency, is a legal charge against the general fund thereof or such fund as may be provided for the maintenance and operation of its public works.

If the owner of the right is a public utility as defined in the Public Utilities Code, the amount apportioned, together with the penalty in case of delinquency, is a lien against any money of the public utility.

At any time after 30 days after any payment due under this article becomes delinquent the department may institute in the name of the people of the State an action to compel payment of the charge against the owner and, in the case of a public utility, to foreclose the lien against any money of the public utility.