Charges - Powers - Water Code - CA

Section § 22280

This law allows water districts to charge fees instead of imposing assessments for services they provide. They can charge for using, selling, or leasing water, and even for water that isn't used. If the district has previously set a standby charge, it can continue to apply it each year at the same rate. However, if they want to introduce new or higher charges, they must follow government procedures for notice and hearing. Districts can also charge for delivering more irrigation water than a set limit, supplying water for electricity generation, selling electricity, and for connections to new pipeline systems. Additionally, they can charge for specific contracts related to water service and for using water to recharge groundwater in certain cases.

Any district may in lieu in whole or in part of levying assessments fix and collect charges for any service furnished by the district, including, but not limited to, all of the following:

(a)

(1) Use, sale, or lease of water, which may include, pursuant to the notice, protest, and hearing procedures in Section 53753 of the Government Code, a standby charge whether the water is actually used or not.

(2) If the procedures set forth in this section as it read at the time a standby charge was established were followed, the district may, by resolution, continue the charge pursuant to this section in successive years at the same rate. If new, increased, or extended assessments are proposed, the district shall comply with the notice, protest, and hearing procedures in Section 53753 of the Government Code.

(b) Delivery of water for irrigation in excess of a specified quantity per unit of land.

(c) Water and the service thereof required by law or provisions of agreements under which all or part of the water supply of the district was acquired to be furnished outside its boundaries to consumers whose rights to service were at the time the supply of water was acquired by the district enforceable by reason of their status as persons of the class for whose benefit the water was appropriated or dedicated.

(d) Use of water for power purposes.

(e) Sale of electric power.

(f) Connections to new pipelines or extensions of existing pipelines required to serve water to lands in the district not adjacent to existing distribution works and which have been constructed in whole or in part at the expense of the district.

(g) Services performed under contracts made pursuant to Section 22234.

(h) Use of water for groundwater recharge.

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Section § 22281

This law allows a district to charge more for water services to land that it doesn't assess, compared to similar land it does assess within the district.

A district may charge higher rates for the service of water to any land that is not subject to assessment by the district than is charged other land in the district for similar service.

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Section § 22281.1

This law allows a district to charge a fee for connecting to new pipelines or extensions of existing pipelines that the district helped fund. The fee should closely match the costs the district advanced, based on the proportion of the new service area's size compared to the total area the pipeline serves.

A district may establish a charge for the right to connect to new pipelines or extensions of existing pipelines constructed in whole or in part at the expense of the district in such amounts as in the opinion of the board will reimburse the district for the cost of construction advanced by the district.

The connection charge shall be as nearly as possible an amount equal to that proportion of the cost of construction of the new pipeline or extension that the area to be served by the connection bears to the total area to be served by the new pipeline or extension.

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Section § 22282

This law allows for charges related to services described in this division to be paid ahead of time if these charges have been set.

Whenever any charges for any service provided for by this division have been fixed, they may be made payable in advance.

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Section § 22282.1

If you haven't paid for water services provided to your land within a reasonable time, the water district can stop providing services until the bill is settled.

A district may refuse service to any land if outstanding charges for services already rendered such land have not been paid within a reasonable time.

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Section § 22283

This law allows a district to create and enforce reasonable rules to implement the requirements outlined in this article. Essentially, districts have the authority to set guidelines to ensure compliance with the law's provisions.

A district may prescribe reasonable rules to carry out the provisions of this article.

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Section § 22284

This law section allows a district to set a rule for collecting unpaid service charges. When someone doesn't pay their service charges on time, the district can follow specific procedures to collect the money based on another law, Section 25806.

A district may prescribe by rule that when any charges fixed for services under Section 22280 become delinquent, the charges may be collected in accordance with procedures specified in Section 25806.

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