Article 6. Alternative Method Of Payment By Owners of California Water Code >> Division 2. >> Part 4. >> Chapter 7. >> Article 6.

The procedure set forth in this article for collecting and making available money for watermaster distribution is in lieu of that set forth in the other provisions of this chapter.

Whenever all the owners of rights to water within any service area, by agreement in writing, shall have organized themselves into an association for the purpose of financing the distribution of the water to which they are entitled and shall have agreed therein as to the apportionment of the expense and the payment thereof and shall have filed with the department a copy of the agreement duly certified and authenticated by the president and secretary of the association, the department shall thereafter submit the statement provided for in this chapter to the association.

The statement shall be submitted on or before the first day of September of the year preceding that for which it is made.

The association shall pay the total amount apportioned to it to the department on or before the first day of December next succeeding the receipt of the statement.

The department shall deposit the money in the Water Resources Revolving Fund to the credit of the amount of the service area affected.

The department may refuse to render watermaster service to such service area during any calendar year next succeeding the first day of December of any year during which the association fails to pay the total amount apportioned to it on or before the first day of December of such year.

All of the provisions of this chapter relating to the expenses of service areas which are not in conflict with this article shall apply to expenses of service areas under this article.

If, at the time of creation of a service area, all the owners have formed an association by agreement in writing and have filed a certified copy of the agreement as provided in this article, the department need not file a certified copy of the order creating the service area or a description of the land within the service area in the office of any county recorder.