The department, without the prior approval of the California Water Commission, is authorized during the calendar years 1976, 1977, and 1978 to make loans in amounts not to exceed two hundred thousand dollars ($200,000) to public agencies to provide emergency facilities needed to maintain water supplies in order to relieve drought situations. Such loans shall be repayable over a period of not to exceed 10 years and shall be repayable with interest at the rate specified in Section 12885.8.
Loans may be made pursuant to this section only if no other funds are reasonably available for meeting the emergency and all other sources of emergency funding have been exhausted. Such loans may be made only to public agencies having the financial ability to repay and serving an area with a population of 200,000 or less.
The Legislature finds that public agencies serving areas with a population of over 200,000 are able financially to relieve drought situations without assistance from the state. Notwithstanding any statutory limitations on its existing powers and except as restricted by the California Constitution, any public agency is authorized, without an election, to borrow and expend funds pursuant to this section to relieve water shortage emergencies within its boundaries.
(Amended by Stats. 1977, Ch. 86.)