Stockton-East Water District: water rates.

Existing law, the Water Conservation District Law of 1931, generally governs the formation of water conservation districts and specifies the powers and purposes of those districts. Existing law establishes the Stockton-East Water District as a water conservation district and authorizes the district to charge water rates for stream-delivered water and for domestic, agricultural, and municipal groundwater. Existing law establishes the district's water rates for the 1979 calendar year and prohibits the rates for stream-delivered water and for domestic and agricultural groundwater assessments after 1979 from exceeding the 1979 rates by more than 20% plus an inflation factor. Existing law makes those specified maximum amounts inapplicable on and after the date of any election in which a majority of those electors voting approve a contract by the district for new supplemental water or approve bonds for financing a distribution system for new supplemental water. This bill would delete the provision making those specified maximum amounts inapplicable and would provide that water rates that exceed those specified maximum amounts may be adopted in accordance with law.