Chapter 4. Property of California Water Code >> Division 20. >> Part 5. >> Chapter 4.

A district may, within or without the district:
  (a) Take real and personal property of every kind by grant, purchase, gift, device, or lease.
  (b) Hold, use, enjoy, lease, or dispose of real and personal property of every kind.

A district may:
  (a) Acquire, or contract to acquire, waterworks or a waterworks system, waters, water rights, lands, rights, and privileges.
  (b) Construct, maintain, and operate conduits, pipelines, reservoirs, works, machinery, and other property useful or necessary to store, convey, supply, or otherwise make use of water for a waterworks plant or system for the benefit of the district.
  (c) Complete, extend, add to, repair, or otherwise improve any waterworks or waterworks system acquired by the district.
  (d) Carry on and conduct waterworks or a waterworks system.
  (e) Construct, maintain, and operate works, facilities improvements and property of the district useful or necessary for the provision, generation, and delivery of hydroelectric power pursuant to Sections 71662 and 71663.

A district may lease from any person, or public corporation or agency, with the privilege of purchasing or otherwise, all or any part of water storage, transportation, or distribution facilities, existing waterworks, or a waterworks system.

A district may exercise the right of eminent domain to take any property necessary to supply the district or any portion thereof with water. The district, in exercising such power, shall, in addition to the damage for the taking, injury, or destruction of property, also pay the cost of removal, reconstruction, or relocation of any structure, railways, mains, pipes, conduits, wires, cables, or poles of any public utility which is required to be removed to a new location.

A district may exercise the right of eminent domain to take any property necessary to carry out any powers of the district. The district, in exercising such right, shall, in addition to the damage for the taking, injury, or destruction of property, also pay the cost of removal, reconstruction, or relocation of any structure, railways, mains, pipes, conduits, wires, cables, or poles of any public utility which is required to be removed to a new location. A district shall not exercise the right of eminent domain, under this section, for the condemnation of property outside the boundaries of the district for any purpose, unless it first obtains the consent thereto of the board of supervisors of the county in which such property is located; provided, however, that a district may exercise the right of eminent domain, under this section, for the condemnation of property outside the boundaries of the district for the acquisition of rights-of-way in any county in which territory of the district is located or in any county adjacent to such county without obtaining the consent of the board of supervisors thereof. When a district proposes to exercise the power of eminent domain, under this section, for the condemnation of property outside the boundaries of the district for the acquisition of rights-of-way in any county in which territory of the district is located or in any county adjacent to such county, it shall give written notice, at least two weeks prior to condemning the property, to the board of supervisors of the county in which the property is located. Such written notice shall contain a description of the property to be condemned.

A district may construct works along and across any stream of water, watercourse, street, avenue, highway, canal, ditch, or flume, or across any railway which the route of the works may intersect or cross. Such works shall be constructed in such manner as to afford security for life and property, and the district shall restore the crossings and intersections to their former state as near as may be, or in a manner so as not to have impaired unnecessarily their usefulness.

Every company whose right-of-way is intersected or crossed by district works shall unite with the district in forming the intersections or crossings and grant the rights therefor.

(a) A district may locate, construct, and maintain district works along and across any street or public highway and on any lands that are now or hereafter owned by the state; and a district has the same rights and privileges appertaining thereto as have been or may be granted to cities within the state. For districts whose territory includes any portion of the redevelopment project area referenced in subdivision (e) of Section 33492.41 of the Health and Safety Code, the exercise of this right shall not be subject to any permitting and approval requirements of any local agency other than the municipal water district that is locating, constructing, or maintaining these district works to the extent that this right is exercised for the purpose of providing facilities or services related to development, as defined in subdivision (e) of Section 56426 of the Government Code, to or in that portion of the redevelopment project area that, as of January 1, 2000, meets all of the following requirements:
  (1) Is unincorporated territory.
  (2) Contains at least 100 acres.
  (3) Is surrounded or substantially surrounded by incorporated territory.
  (4) Contains at least 100 acres zoned for commercial or industrial uses or is designated on the applicable county general plan for commercial or industrial uses.
  (b) Facilities or services related to development may be provided by the district to all or any portion of the area defined in paragraphs (1) to (4), inclusive, of subdivision (a). Notwithstanding any other provision of the Government Code, building ordinances, zoning ordinances, and any other local ordinances, rules, and regulations of a city or other political subdivision of the state shall not apply to the location, construction, or maintenance of facilities or services related to development pursuant to this section.

Any use by the district of a public highway now or hereafter constituted a state highway shall be subject to the provisions of Chapter 3 (commencing with Section 660) of Division 1 of the Streets and Highways Code.

No publicly owned utility shall commence to provide any water service for, on, or to any land within a municipal water district which is subject to (1) the lien of a bonded indebtedness incurred by the district for the purpose of providing a service similar to that which the utility proposes to provide or (2) a lien of an indebtedness arising under any contract between the district and the United States of America incurred or contracted by the district for the purpose of providing water service; provided, that a majority of the voters voting at an election within the district have approved the incurrence of the indebtedness and, provided further, that the district has water available and is ready, able, and willing to serve such land. However, a publicly owned utility may commence to provide service, otherwise prohibited, upon either of the following conditions:
  (a) In any portion of such a municipal water district proposed to be served by the publicly owned utility in which the total number of registered voters residing therein is less than 12, and in which the municipal water district (1) receives the written consent of at least a majority of the owners of real property holding at least a majority in value of the real property and (2) consents to the service by resolution.
  (b) In any portion of such a municipal water district proposed to be served by the publicly owned utility in which the total number of registered voters residing therein is 12 or more, and in which at least a majority of the voters voting on the proposition shall have voted at a special municipal water district election to permit such service within that portion of the district. The election shall be called and held within that portion of the district in the same manner as an initiative measure pursuant to Section 71530.

Any publicly owned utility which commences to provide any water service for, on, or to any land within a municipal water district which is providing service to the land and which land at the commencement of such service is subject to the lien of a bonded or contract indebtedness with revenues pledged for their payment, shall reimburse the district from the water revenues derived from charges made for service to such land, the amount which would have been paid by the district from water revenues for such bond or contract payments.