Chapter 1. Petition of California Water Code >> Division 16. >> Part 2. >> Chapter 1.

Any portion of a county, containing unincorporated territory, or containing the whole or any portion of one or more incorporated cities and contiguous unincorporated territory, and not included in a district, may be formed into a district.

A district may be formed of two or more parcels of noncontiguous territory within the same county if the board of supervisors determines that the single district may be more efficiently and economically operated than if separate districts were formed, but no parcel of noncontiguous territory which contains less than 10 acres may be included in any district.

A petition for the formation of a district may be presented to the board of supervisors.

The petition shall be presented at a regular meeting of the board of supervisors and shall be signed by not less than 25 percent of the freeholders resident within the proposed district, or by not less than 25 percent of the freeholders resident and nonresident within the proposed district, including not less than 15 percent of such resident freeholders.

The formation petition shall contain:
  (a) The name and boundaries of the proposed district to be benefited by the improvement.
  (b) A general description of the improvement desired for the purpose of supplying the inhabitants of the district with water, and which may embrace any or all of the following: the acquisition, construction, installation, completion, extension, repair, or maintenance of water works, structures, and appliances, and the acquisition, by purchase, condemnation, contract, lease, or otherwise, of lands, rights-of-way, water, water rights, and water service, necessary or convenient for such purpose.
  (c) An estimate of the cost of the proposed improvement and of the incidental expenses in connection therewith.
  (d) A request that an election be called in the district for the purpose of submitting to the qualified voters thereof the proposition of forming the district and the incurring of any indebtedness by the issuance of bonds of the district to pay the cost and expenses of the proposed improvement or any part thereof except if the petition be signed by all of the owners of property within the proposed district as such owners are shown upon the last equalized assessment roll, an election need not be requested.

The petition shall be accompanied by a map showing the exterior boundaries of the proposed district, with relation to the territory immediately contiguous thereto, and contain a general description of the proposed improvement.

There shall also be filed with the petition a good and sufficient undertaking, to be approved by the board of supervisors, in double the amount of the probable cost of forming the district, conditioned that the sureties shall pay the cost in case the formation of the district is not effected.

The failure of the petition to contain any of the matters required to be contained therein shall not affect the legality of the organization of the district if it is thereafter organized.

If the petitioners so desire, the petition may also contain a statement that the taxes provided for in this division shall be levied upon the land within the district and upon no other property.

Upon the request of 25 or more freeholders, or a majority of the freeholders, if less than 50 in number, needing water service within a given area, the board of supervisors may instruct any county officer to prepare a report recommending means of providing such service, including a plan for financing, constructing, operating and maintaining facilities essential to such service and a petition for the formation of or annexation to a district, and to prepare improvement petitions, including maps, preliminary estimates, legal descriptions, and all things necessary for the completion of the petition. The board of supervisors may instruct any qualified county officer or may engage a qualified person, firm or corporation to prepare groundwater studies and reports, plans and estimates for water systems and engineering feasibility reports for water systems, reservoirs, conduits, treatment plants, conservation and reuse of water.