Laws and Regulations, California Codes
Water Code, Division 1

• 100: It is hereby declared that because of the conditions prevailing in this State the general welfare re...
• 100.5: It is hereby declared to be the established policy of this state that conformity of a use, method of...
• 101: Riparian rights in a stream or watercourse attach to, but to no more than so much of the flow thereo...
• 102: All water within the State is the property of the people of the State, but the right to the use of w...
• 103: In the enactment of this code the Legislature does not intend thereby to effect any change in the la...
• 104: It is hereby declared that the people of the State have a paramount interest in the use of all the w...
• 105: It is hereby declared that the protection of the public interest in the development of the water res...
• 106: It is hereby declared to be the established policy of this State that the use of water for domestic ...
• 106.5: It is hereby declared to be the established policy of this State that the right of a municipality to...
• 106.7: (a) It is hereby declared to be the established policy of this state to support and encourage the de...
• 107: The declaration of the policy of the State in this chapter is not exclusive, and all other or furthe...
• 108: It is hereby declared to be the established policy of this State that in the development and complet...
• 109: (a) The Legislature hereby finds and declares that the growing water needs of the state require the ...
• 112: (a) The efficiency of a reverse osmosis water treatment device means the percentage of water which p...
• 120: There is in the Resources Agency the Department of Water Resources, which is under the control of an...
• 122: The director, in addition to being subject to removal from office by the Governor, may be removed fr...
• 123: Except as provided in Section 179, the department succeeds to and is vested with all of the powers, ...
• 124: Except to the extent inconsistent with the provisions of this code, the provisions of Chapter 2 (com...
• 125: For the purpose of administration, the director shall organize the department with the approval of t...
• 126: There shall be one Deputy Director of Water Resources who shall be a civil executive officer and sha...
• 127: The department may employ legal counsel who shall advise the director, represent the department in c...
• 127.5: The department may utilize the program manager class series that was created for the California Bay-...
• 128: (a) In times of extraordinary stress and of disaster, resulting from storms and floods, or where dam...
• 130: The department may prepare, publish, and issue such printed pamphlets and bulletins as the director ...
• 131: The department may employ such assistance as may be necessary for the proper discharge of its duties...
• 132: Where work to be performed, which would otherwise be subject to the State Contract Act, does not len...
• 133: The department may cooperate and contract with any agency of the State or of the United States in or...
• 134: The department may expend money appropriated for the administration of the laws the enforcement of w...
• 134.5: The Director of Finance shall administratively establish positions necessary to implement activities...
• 135: The Water Resources Revolving Fund in the State Treasury is continued in existence. With the approva...
• 135.1: All sums in the Water Resources Revolving Fund in the State Treasury, maintained pursuant to Section...
• 136: The Department of Water Resources shall file against the Water Resources Revolving Fund all claims c...
• 137: The Department of Water Resources shall keep a record of all expenditures chargeable against each sp...
• 138: The director may authorize the refund of moneys received or collected by the department in payment o...
• 138.9: (a) Subject to subdivisions (b) and (c), commencing on January 1, 2003, and annually thereafter, the...
• 138.10: (a) On or before January 1, 2006, the director, in collaboration with the Secretary of Interior or h...
• 138.12: (a) Except as otherwise provided in a general obligation bond act, the maximum amount that may be al...
• 139.2: The department shall evaluate the potential impacts on water supplies derived from the Sacramento-Sa...
• 139.4: (a) The department and the Department of Fish and Game shall determine the principal options for the...
• 141: (a) The department may establish a program to authorize private entities to lease space above or adj...
• 141.5: The department shall proceed with the construction of the South Delta Improvements Program, but shal...
• 142: (a) In order to reduce greenhouse gas emissions associated with water and energy usage, on and after...
• 147: (a) On or before January 10, 2010, and annually thereafter, the department shall prepare and submit ...
• 147.5: At least 60 days prior to the final approval of the renewal or extension of a long-term water supply...
• 150: There is in the Department of Water Resources the California Water Commission.
• 151: The California Water Commission consists of nine members who are appointed by the Governor subject t...
• 152: Seven members of the California Water Commission appointed by the Governor shall be selected and app...
• 153: (a) The terms of the members of the California Water Commission in office as of January 1, 1958, sha...
• 153.5: (a) Notwithstanding Sections 153 and 154, the term of any member of the California Water Commission,...
• 154: Appointments shall be for terms of four years. Vacancies shall be immediately filled by the Governor...
• 155: The appointments made by the Governor to membership on the California Water Commission shall be subj...
• 156: The members of the California Water Commission may be removed from office by the Legislature, by con...
• 157: Each member of the California Water Commission shall receive one hundred dollars ($100) for each day...
• 158: The California Water Commission shall maintain its headquarters at Sacramento and shall hold meeting...
• 159: Special meetings may be called at any time by the chairman or by the executive officer at the reques...
• 160: The members of the California Water Commission shall select one of the members to serve as chairman,...
• 161: The California Water Commission shall confer with, advise, and make recommendations to the director ...
• 161.5: The California Water Commission shall have the power to name all facilities of the State Water Resou...
• 162: It is the intention of the Legislature that in the making of all major departmental determinations, ...
• 163: The commission may employ an executive officer, exempt from civil service, under subdivision (e) of ...
• 163.5: The department shall furnish to the California Water Commission, at its request, such assistance, in...
• 164: The commission may hold any hearings and conduct any investigations in any part of the state necessa...
• 165: The California Water Commission shall conduct an annual review of the progress of construction and o...
• 166: The California Water Commission shall hold public hearings on all additional facilities proposed to ...
• 174: The Legislature hereby finds and declares that in order to provide for the orderly and efficient adm...
• 175: (a) There is in the California Environmental Protection Agency the State Water Resources Control Boa...
• 175.5: (a) A member of the board shall not participate in any board action pursuant to Article 2 (commencin...
• 176: The annual salary of the members of the board is provided for by Chapter 6 (commencing at Section 11...
• 177: All members of the board shall be appointed for terms of four years. Vacancies shall be immediately ...
• 178: The members of the board may be removed from office by the Legislature, by concurrent resolution ado...
• 179: The board succeeds to and is vested with all of the powers, duties, purposes, responsibilities, and ...
• 179.6: The board, or representatives authorized by the board to do so, may call, conduct or attend conferen...
• 179.7: As to any matter involving the United States, its departments or agencies, which is within the scope...
• 181: The board shall maintain its headquarters at Sacramento and may establish branch offices in such par...
• 182: The Governor shall designate the chairperson of the board from the membership of the board. The pers...
• 183: The board may hold any hearings and conduct any investigations in any part of the state necessary to...
• 184: The Department of Water Resources shall have an interest and may appear as a party in any hearing he...
• 185: The board shall adopt rules for the conduct of its affairs in conformity, as nearly as practicable, ...
• 186: (a) The board shall have any powers, and may employ any legal counsel and other personnel and assist...
• 187: The board, regional water quality control boards, the Department of Water Resources, and other state...
• 188: The board may expend money appropriated for the administration of the laws the administration of whi...
• 188.5: The board shall publish biennial progress reports relating to the activities of the board and Califo...
• 190: Whenever the State of California is specifically invited by federal law to participate in any inters...
• 205: The department may join associations of representatives of other States which have been established ...
• 225: The department may carry on topographic surveys and investigations into matters pertaining to the wa...
• 226: The department, either independently or in co-operation with any person or any county, state, federa...
• 227: The department may investigate any natural situation available for reservoirs or reservoir systems f...
• 228: The department shall gather and correlate information and data pertinent to an annual forecast of se...
• 229: The department, either independently or in cooperation with any person or any county, state, federal...
• 230: The department, either independently or in cooperation with any person or any county, state, federal...
• 231: The department, either independently or in cooperation with any person or any county, state, federal...
• 233: No plans or proposal for authorization of a project for construction or operation by the State shall...
• 234: The department, either independently or in co-operation with or through any person or any county, st...
• 235: The department, either independently or in co-operation with any person or any county, state, federa...
• 236: The department, either independently or in cooperation with any person or any county, state, federal...
• 238: (a) The department shall conduct studies of the Sacramento River and the Feather River and their tri...
• 250: In the name of the people of the State of California, the department may acquire by eminent domain a...
• 252: Subject to Sections 1240.670 and 1240.680 of the Code of Civil Procedure, the real property which th...
• 253: The department may acquire, either in fee or in any lesser estate or interest, any real property whi...
• 257: The director may execute all deeds or conveyances necessary to convey any real property or interest ...
• 258: The authority conferred by this code to acquire real property for state dam and water purposes inclu...
• 259: When the department condemns the property of any common carrier railroad, other public utility, or s...
• 260: In any lease, easement, or right of entry agreement entered into whereby the department leases real ...
• 265: Notwithstanding any provisions of the State Contract Act, the department may award and enter into co...
• 275: The department and board shall take all appropriate proceedings or actions before executive, legisla...
• 300: For the purposes of this article, an artesian well is any artifical hole made in the ground through ...
• 301: For the purposes of this article, waste is the causing, suffering, or permitting any water flowing f...
• 302: The use of any water flowing from an artesian well for the irrigation of land, whenever over 5 per c...
• 303: Nothing in this article prevents the running of artesian water into an artificial pond or storage-re...
• 304: A beneficial use under the next preceding section shall not exceed one tenth of one miner's inch of ...
• 305: Any artesian well which is not capped or equipped with a mechanical appliance which will readily and...
• 306: The owner, tenant, or occupant of the land upon which a well which is a public nuisance under the ne...
• 307: Any person owning, possessing, or occupying any land upon which is situated an artesian well, who ca...
• 308: Each day's continuance of waste constitutes a new offense.
• 309: Any person who violates any of the provisions of this article is punishable for each offense by a fi...
• 310: All prosecutions for the violation of any of the provisions of this article shall be instituted in t...
• 311: Any fine imposed under the provisions of this article may be collected as in other criminal cases, a...
• 340: Any funds appropriated for Yuba River debris control shall be used for construction, renewal, and re...
• 341: Funds withdrawn from such appropriation must be matched by an expenditure of like amount by the Fede...
• 342: All work paid for from such appropriation shall be executed by or under the direction of the Califor...
• 345: The Department of Water Resources shall (a) plan recreation development associated with state-constr...
• 346: Notwithstanding the provisions of Section 345, the department, with the approval of the Department o...
• 348: (a) The department or the board may adopt emergency regulations providing for the electronic filing ...
• 350: The governing body of a distributor of a public water supply, whether publicly or privately owned an...
• 351: Excepting in event of a breakage or failure of a dam, pump, pipe line or conduit causing an immediat...
• 352: Notice of the time and place of hearing shall be published pursuant to Section 6061 of the Governmen...
• 353: When the governing body has so determined and declared the existence of an emergency condition of wa...
• 354: After allocating and setting aside the amount of water which in the opinion of the governing body wi...
• 355: The regulations and restrictions shall thereafter be and remain in full force and effect during the ...
• 356: The regulations and restrictions may include the right to deny applications for new or additional se...
• 357: If the regulations and restrictions on delivery and consumption of water adopted pursuant to this ch...
• 358: Nothing in this chapter shall be construed to prohibit or prevent review by any court of competent j...
• 359: (a) Notwithstanding any other provision of law that requires an election for the purpose of authoriz...
• 370: The Legislature hereby finds and declares all of the following: (a) The use of allocation-based cons...
• 371: For purposes of this chapter, the following terms have the following meanings: (a) "Allocation-based...
• 372: (a) A public entity may employ allocation-based conservation water pricing that meets all of the fol...
• 373: (a) Revenues derived from allocation-based conservation water pricing shall not exceed the reasonabl...
• 374: (a) Allocation-based conservation water pricing under this chapter may be used on an ongoing basis a...
• 375: (a) Notwithstanding any other provision of the law, any public entity which supplies water at retail...
• 375.5: (a) A public entity, as defined by Section 375, may undertake water conservation and public educatio...
• 376: (a) Any ordinance or resolution adopted pursuant to Section 375 is effective upon adoption. Within 1...
• 377: From and after the publication or posting of any ordinance or resolution pursuant to Section 376, vi...
• 378: A public entity may enter into agreements with other public entities, businesses, community associat...
• 380: The Legislature hereby finds and declares as follows: (a) The various regions of the state differ wi...
• 381: The authority of local or regional public agencies pursuant to this chapter shall control over any o...
• 382: (a) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, every local or regional public agency authorized by ...
• 383: For the purposes of this chapter, water that is surplus to the needs of the agency's water users sha...
• 384: Prior to serving water to any person for use outside the agency, the agency shall comply with all pr...
• 385: No water may be transferred pursuant to this chapter for use within the boundaries of a local or reg...
• 386: The board may approve any change associated with a transfer pursuant to this chapter only if it find...
• 387: Any agreement for the transfer of water under the provisions of this chapter shall be for a period n...
• 389: (a) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the term water standby charge and the term water ava...
• 400: This chapter shall be known and may be cited as the California Weather Resources Management Act of 1...
• 401: It is hereby declared that atmospheric water within the state which is caused to fall by weather res...
• 402: As used in this chapter: (a) "Weather resources management" means attempting to produce by physical ...
• 410: Before commencing a weather resources management project, the project operator shall file with the d...
• 411: The project operator shall cause the notice of intention to be published pursuant to Section 6063 of...
• 412: Proof of publication shall be by copy of the notice as published attached to and made a part of the ...
• 420: The weather resources management project operator shall keep a record of all operations conducted, s...
• 450: The Governor, or such state official or agency as he may designate, shall receive both the prelimina...
• 451: Within 10 days after the receipt of any such preliminary document or formal report, the Governor or ...
• 452: Any legislative committee to which such a preliminary document or formal report has been assigned ma...
• 453: The Governor or his designee shall transmit, within the time period specified in the applicable fede...
• 460: This chapter shall be known as and may be cited as the Water Reuse Law of 1974.
• 461: It is hereby declared that the primary interest of the people of the state in the conservation of al...
• 462: The department shall conduct studies and investigations on the availability and quality of wastewate...
• 463: The department shall study and investigate the technology of the reuse of reclaimed water and furthe...
• 465: The department may assist local agencies and public utilities providing water service in applying fo...
• 470: This chapter shall be known as and may be cited as the Costa-Isenberg Water Transfer Act of 1986.
• 475: The Legislature hereby finds and declares that voluntary water transfers between water users can res...
• 480: The department shall establish an ongoing program to facilitate the voluntary exchange or transfer o...
• 481: The department shall create and maintain a list of entities seeking to enter into water supply trans...
• 482: The department shall prepare a water transfer guide which shall include, but not be limited to, all ...
• 483: The department shall consult and coordinate its activities with other state boards, departments, age...
• 484: (a) The temporary transfer of any water or water right that otherwise would have been consumptively ...
• 500: This chapter shall be known and may be cited as the Water Measurement Law.
• 510: Unless the context otherwise requires, the provisions of this article govern the construction of thi...
• 511: The definition of a word applies to any of its variants.
• 512: "Water purveyor" means any person who furnishes water service to another person.
• 513: "Person" means any individual, firm, association, partnership, corporation, or public entity of any ...
• 514: "Public entity" includes a city, county, city and county, whether general law or chartered, a distri...
• 515: "Water service" means the sale, lease, rental, furnishing, or delivery of water for beneficial use, ...
• 516: "Water meter" includes any suitable water measuring device or facility which measures or determines ...
• 520: The Legislature hereby finds and declares that, pursuant to the primary interest of the people of th...
• 521: The Legislature further finds and declares all of the following: (a) Water furnished or used without...
• 522: The Legislature further finds and declares that waste or unreasonable use of water imposes unnecessa...
• 523: The Legislature hereby finds and declares that the California goal for measurement of water use is t...
• 525: (a) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, every water purveyor who sells, leases, rents, furni...
• 526: (a) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, an urban water supplier that, on or after January 1,...
• 527: (a) An urban water supplier that is not subject to Section 526 shall do both of the following: (1) I...
• 528: Notwithstanding Sections 526 and 527, any water purveyor that becomes an urban water supplier on or ...
• 529: (a) This article addresses a subject matter of statewide concern. (b) Subject to subdivision (c), th...
• 529.5: On and after January 1, 2010, any urban water supplier that applies for financial assistance from th...
• 529.7: This article does not limit the authority of a water purveyor that promotes conservation through vol...
• 530: Domestic cold water meters shall be in compliance with relevant standards of the American Water Work...
• 531: Unless the context otherwise requires, the definitions set forth in this section govern the construc...
• 531.2: The department, the board, and the State Department of Public Health shall coordinate the collection...
• 531.5: (a) The board, in collaboration with the department, the authority or its successor agency, and the ...
• 531.10: (a) An agricultural water supplier shall submit an annual report to the department that summarizes a...
• 531.15: Notwithstanding any other provision of the law, state agencies shall carry out the duties described ...
• 531.20: To the extent that the provisions of this article conflict with the requirements of Chapter 4800 of ...
• 535: (a) A water purveyor shall require as a condition of new retail water service on and after January 1...
• 540: Notwithstanding any other provision of law, a water district, as defined in Section 20200, may serve...