(a) The superior court of the county in which the major portion of the district lies may issue a temporary restraining order upon the filing by the district with the court of a verified petition or complaint setting forth that the person named therein as defendant is the operator of a water-producing facility which has not been registered with the district or that the defendant is delinquent in the payment of a replenishment assessment. The temporary restraining order shall be returnable to the court on or before 10 days after its issuance.
(b) The court may issue and grant an injunction restraining and prohibiting the named defendant from the operation of any water-producing facility when it is established by the preponderance of the evidence at a hearing that the defendant has failed to register the water-producing facility with the district or that the defendant is delinquent in the payment of a replenishment assessment. The court may provide that the injunction so made and issued shall be stayed for a period not to exceed 10 days to permit the defendant to register the water-producing facility or to pay the delinquent replenishment assessment.
(c) Service of process shall be made by posting a copy of the summons and complaint upon the water-producing facility or the parcel of land upon which the water-producing facility is located and by personal service of summons and complaint upon the named defendant.
(d) The right to proceed for injunctive relief as provided in this section shall be in addition to any other right which may be provided elsewhere in this act or which may be otherwise allowed by law. The procedure provided in Chapter 3 (commencing with Section 525) of Title 7 of Part 2 of the Code of Civil Procedure regarding injunctions shall be followed except insofar as it may be otherwise provided in this section.
(e) The court shall direct that the district or operator of a water-producing facility be awarded the reasonable attorney’s fees and costs relating to a motion seeking injunctive relief under this section whenever the district or operator of a water-producing facility prevails on a petition or complaint.
(f) The changes made to this section by the act adding this subdivision shall not apply to any operator of a water-producing facility that is a party to litigation involving a water replenishment district filed before July 1, 2013, until after the litigation is settled or all legal remedies have been exhausted.
(Amended by Stats. 2013, Ch. 638, Sec. 4. (SB 620) Effective January 1, 2014.)