CHAPTER 1. General Powers [50900. - 50907.]

Cal. Water Code - WAT 1.
in effect

Cal. Water Code - WAT § 50901. Section 50901.

If a district is in debt it has no power to impair or destroy any of its indebtedness without the consent of the creditors, but it may make any arrangement with the creditors for the surrender of such indebtedness at less than par, and may levy an assessment on the lands in the district for the payment thereof.

Cal. Water Code - WAT § 50902. Section 50902.

(a) In addition to its other powers, a district may, by a resolution of the board at a noticed public hearing, fix and collect charges and fees, including minimum and standby charges, for the provision of benefits and services. (b) Notice of the public hearing shall be given by publication once a week for two successive weeks in a newspaper of general circulation published in the principal county. (c) The board, in fixing the charges and fees, may establish the dates of delinquency and may impose penalties for delinquency not exceeding 10 percent of the amount of the charge or fee and may, in addition, collect interest at a rate not to exceed 1.5 percent per month from the date of delinquency on all delinquent charges and fees. The district may sue for the recovery of unpaid charges and fees or the unpaid charges or fees may be added to the operation and maintenance assessment in the same manner as unpaid water charges pursuant to Section 51440. (d) The revenue obtained from charges and fees may be in lieu of, or supplemental to, revenue obtained in any other manner and may be used for any district purpose and the payment of any district obligation. (e) After a charge or fee is initially fixed by the board at a noticed public hearing, the board may subsequently reduce that amount of that charge or fee without notice or a public hearing. (f) If the procedures set forth in this section as it read at the time a standby charge was established were followed, the board 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 board shall comply with the notice, protest, and hearing procedures in Section 53753 of the Government Code.

Cal. Water Code - WAT § 50903. Section 50903.

A district of less than 100 acres and situated adjacent to the Stockton Ship Channel may acquire, construct, operate, maintain, repair, and improve lands, works, and facilities for the collection, treatment, and disposal of sewage and waste; herein called sanitation, and perform all matters germane thereto; provided, that no district may exercise any of the powers conferred by this section unless a petition approving the exercise of such powers is signed by a majority of the voters within the district and submitted to the district. In such event, it shall cause to be prepared and approved a plan therefor and prepare an estimate of the costs thereof, and may modify, change, or adopt a new, supplemental, or additional plan and estimate. The plan and estimate may include properties, works, and facilities already existing, or in the course of acquisition or construction, and payments therefor may be made to the landowner owning same, or to his legal representative. Such plan shall be reported and may be financed in the same manner as a plan for reclamation of district lands pursuant to this division. Because of the recreational uses being made of the smaller islands in the vicinity of the improved Stockton Ship Channel, in order to protect the quality of the water, the Legislature finds and declares that it is necessary that reclamation districts of less than 100 acres and situated adjacent to the Stockton Ship Channel be able to exercise sanitation powers. Such circumstances are not generally applicable to reclamation districts. It is therefore declared that a general law cannot be made applicable and that the enactment of this section as special legislation applicable only to such districts is necessary.

Cal. Water Code - WAT § 50904. Section 50904.

A district may, by resolution of the board, provide a procedure for and collect charges and fees, by way of the tax bills of the county or counties in which such district is located. A district may also collect assessments levied under Part 7 (commencing with Section 51200) of the division by way of the tax bills of the county or counties in which such district is located. Such charges and fees or assessments shall appear as a separate item on the tax bill, shall be collected at the same time and in the same manner as county ad valorem property taxes are collected, and shall be subject to the same penalties and the same procedure and sale in case of delinquency as provided for such taxes. The district shall, on or before August 1st of each year, certify to the county auditor the charges and fees or assessments to be collected. The county may deduct from the revenue so collected for the district an appropriate amount for the billing and collection services rendered to the district.

Cal. Water Code - WAT § 50905. Section 50905.

The Edgerly Island Reclamation District may provide for the disposal of sewage, industrial waste, or other waste and, for that purpose, may design, finance, construct, operate, and maintain sewage treatment works.

Cal. Water Code - WAT § 50906. Section 50906.

(a) A reclamation district specified in subdivision (d) may construct, maintain, and operate a plant for the generation of hydroelectric power, together with transmission lines for the conveyance thereof and with other facilities that may be necessary or appropriate for the construction, maintenance, and operation of that plant. Construction of the plant and transmission lines may be financed by the issuance of time warrants pursuant to Article 3 (commencing with Section 53040) of Chapter 1 of Part 9 to pay the cost of construction of the plant, transmission lines, and related facilities, except that the board may, by resolution, provide for the payment of those time warrants solely from the proceeds derived from the operation of the hydroelectric powerplant, in lieu of the assessment described in Section 53040, and may, in that event, pledge the plant, transmission lines, and related facilities and the revenues from the operation of the hydroelectric powerplant as the sole security for the payment of the time warrants. (b) The hydroelectric powerplant, transmission lines, and related facilities constructed pursuant to this section may be leased for operation to, or the power generated may be sold to, a public utility or public agency engaged in the distribution, use, or sale of electricity, but shall not be offered for sale directly by the district to customers other than a public utility or public agency. (c) Proceeds from the sale of electricity shall be used to retire any time warrants issued for construction of the facilities and otherwise for the powers and purposes for which the district was formed. (d) This section applies only to the following reclamation districts: (1) Reclamation District No. 1004 acting in conjunction with the County of Colusa. (2) Reclamation District No. 108. (e) Reclamation District No. 108 shall submit to the Assembly and Senate Committees on Local Government, on or before January 1, 2031, and between January 1, 2035, and January 1, 2036, a report containing the following information: (1) Whether the district has obtained permission from the Colusa Local Agency Formation Commission to enact its hydroelectric authority. (2) (A) Whether the district is using its hydroelectric authority or has plans to use its hydroelectric authority. (B) If the district is using its hydroelectric authority or has plans to use its hydroelectric authority, the report shall include the following information: (i) The status of the project. (ii) Financial statements related to the selling of hydroelectric power. (iii) An estimated date for the use of its hydroelectric authority. (3) If the district is not currently using its hydroelectric authority, regardless of whether the district has plans to use its hydroelectric authority, the reasons for not using that authority.

Cal. Water Code - WAT § 50907. Section 50907.

All districts formed under this division or under a special act of the Legislature and authorized to act, under this division, shall be subject to the requirements for competitive bidding under Article 60.5 (commencing with Section 20920) of Chapter 1 of Part 3 of Division 2 of the Public Contract Code.
Source: CA Legislative Counsel Bulk DataURL: https://downloads.leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/pubinfo_2025.zipFetched: 6/27/2026

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