In addition to the other powers provided by law, the Malaga County Water District, Fresno County, shall, within the boundaries of the district, have all of the following powers and shall promptly and effectively exercise those powers that are appropriate for improving water quality and supply, reducing the use of water, and preventing nuisance, pollution, waste, and contamination of water:
(a) To carry on technical and other investigations, examinations, or tests, of all kinds, make measurements, collect data, and make analyses, studies, and inspections pertaining to the water supply, use of water, water quality, nuisance, pollution, waste, and contamination of water, both within and without the district, including, but not limited to, those activities related to use of public, combined, or private septic and septic tank disposal systems.
(b) To regulate, prohibit, or control the discharge of pollutants, waste, or any other material into the district’s facilities by requiring dischargers to obtain a permit from the district prior to any discharge and by prohibiting the discharge of pollutants or other material which does or may cause a nuisance into the district’s facilities without first obtaining a permit from the district, but if a federal permit has been issued for the discharge, a permit may be issued by the district at no fee to the discharger; to require a fee to be collected prior to the issuance of a discharge permit, if the amount of the fee does not exceed the cost of issuing the permit; to require all permitholders to indemnify the district from any and all damages, penalties, or other expenses imposed on or required of the district by state or federal agencies due to any discharge by the permitholders into district facilities.
(c) To establish compliance with any federal, state, or local law, regulation, order, or rule relating to water pollution or the discharge of pollutants, waste, or any other material into the district’s facilities. For this purpose, any authorized representative of the district, upon presentation of his or her credentials or, if necessary under the circumstances, after obtaining an inspection warrant pursuant to Title 13 (commencing with Section 1822.50) of Part 3 of the Code of Civil Procedure, has the right of entry to any premises on which a water pollution, waste, or contamination source is located for the purpose of inspecting the source, including securing samples of discharges therefrom, or any records required to be maintained in connection therewith by federal, state, or local law, regulation, order, or rule.
(Added by Stats. 1989, Ch. 580, Sec. 1.)