Orange County Water District Act: investigation, cleanup, and liability.

Existing law, the Municipal Water District Law of 1911, authorizes the formation of a municipal water district to acquire and sell water, and specifies the powers and purposes of a municipal water district. The Municipal Water District of Orange County is a district established pursuant to that law. The Orange County Water District Act establishes the Orange County Water District, consisting of specified lands in the County of Orange, including the Cities of Anaheim, Fullerton, and Santa Ana. The act authorizes the district to investigate the quality of the surface and groundwaters within the district to determine whether the waters are contaminated or polluted and authorizes the district to expend funds to perform any cleanup, abatement, or remedial work to prevent, abate, or contain the contamination of, or pollution to, the surface or groundwaters of the district. The act requires the person causing or threatening to cause the contamination or pollution to be liable to the district for reasonable costs actually incurred in cleaning up or containing the contamination or pollution, abating the effects of the contamination or pollution, or taking other remedial action. This bill would require the person also to be liable for the costs actually incurred in investigating the contamination or pollution. The bill would provide that these remedies are in addition to all other legal and equitable remedies available to the water district, including declaratory relief.