SECTION 4: DUTIES OF WATER USERS

Responsibilities

4001 - All land to be irrigated shall be properly prepared to efficiently and economically receive water.
4002 - Water Users shall maintain Private facilities in a manner that is conducive to the reasonable and beneficial use of supplied water. The Water User is responsible for ensuring that all Private facilities are in an acceptable working condition, able to receive water at the irrigation start time, and capable of continued use for the duration of the irrigation event.
4003 - Water Users shall be responsible for the control and distribution of water to their lands at all times after the water is diverted from a District Facility. As determined by the District, where control is not appropriately exercised by the Water User, the District may require that an Irrigator be present at all times during irrigation events.
4004 - Water Users shall be responsible to close all Privately owned gates and valves at the conclusion of the irrigation event.
4005 - Water Users are responsible for communication with the Distribution System Operator. The District requires that the Distribution System Operator be notified of any planned or unplanned changes that may occur during the irrigation event. At a minimum, the Irrigator is responsible for notifying the Distribution System Operator four (4) hours prior to any change in, or termination of, the irrigation event.
4006 - The Distribution System Operator may require any Water User, at the end of an irrigation event, to notify the Water User next in line for the receipt of water.
4007 - For the purposes of determining operation schedules and water demand, the District requests that Water Users submit a crop declaration to the Distribution System Operator prior to or during the first irrigation event of the irrigation season. The crop declaration shall include without limitation the type of crop, number of acres of each crop type, and an estimate of the annual crop water requirement.
4008 - All Water Users are responsible for providing the District with the most current and accurate contact information. At a minimum the District requires that Water Users provide a mailing address, Landowner telephone number, and Irrigator telephone number.

Use of Water

4009 - All District supplied water must be applied efficiently and used reasonably and beneficially.
4010 - All District supplied water shall be used for irrigation purposes, except where a written agreement has been entered into between the Water User and the District.
4011 - Any Water User who wastes water on roads, vacant land, or land previously irrigated, either willfully, carelessly, or on account of defective or inadequate conduits or facilities, or inadequately prepared land, or who floods a portion of the land to an unreasonable depth or amount in order to irrigate other portions, or floods across one parcel to irrigate another parcel, may be refused District water until such conditions are remedied.
4012 - Water shall not be used on lands outside of District boundaries except where agreed upon through an annual Out of District Service Agreement. Water Users shall not use water on lands outside the District that was originally applied on lands within the District, whether by routing through a conduit, first flowing it across land within the District, recapturing it from drains, or otherwise. The District has the authority to terminate any current or future water use if it is determined that the aforementioned event has occurred. The District may also require that facilities be constructed to ensure that future deliveries are maintained on the property to which it was originally diverted.

Charges

4013 - The Board shall, annually, establish the rates of charges for water and the payment due dates.
4014 - All water charges, Improvement District charges, and other irrigation or drainage related charges shall be due and payable as stated by Board resolution and notices in billing statements. Typically, water charges are billed annually in early November and may be paid in two installments. The first installment is usually due by December 20th and the second installment is due by June 20th.
4015 - Any account that is delinquent shall be charged a penalty of 10% plus a $3.50 service charge on the first installment, and 5% plus a $3.50 service charge on the second unpaid installment.
4016 - Landowners are responsible for all charges regardless of whether or not the land is being rented, leased, or farmed by a third party.
4017 - The District reserves the right to enforce payment of delinquent water charges and penalties through any and all of the following methods: (a) cause a lien therefor to be placed and enforced pursuant to California Water Code ยง25806 on the subject real property of the delinquent account; (b) through contracts with County Tax Collectors, placement of delinquent charges on county tax rolls for collection; (c) refuse or discontinue water service (d) require full payment in advance of the annual charges for future service; and (e) bring action to collect.

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