§ 1217 Water Purchase Rights In Exports

(a) In addition to the right to obtain a water right which would have priority over the rights of an exporter, water users in a protected area shall have the right to purchase, for adequate compensation, water made available by the construction of any works by a water supplier exporting or intending to export water for use outside the protected area. Nothing in this section shall be construed to authorize export of water from a protected area to which users within the protected area are otherwise entitled, nor to require users within a protected area to pay for water to which they are otherwise entitled. (b) At the request of a water user or users within a protected area, a water supplier exporting or intending to export water for use outside the protected area who is subject to Section 1216 shall meet and negotiate in good faith for the purpose of entering into contracts for the purchase of water as provided in subdivision (a). (c) Any water user or users in a protected area may bring an action in the superior court to require compliance with the duty to meet and negotiate in good faith pursuant to this section. The court may issue a temporary restraining order, preliminary injunction, or permanent injunction, as appropriate, to secure compliance with this section. (d) The meetings and negotiations required by this section may occur between the water supplier exporting water for use outside a protected area and any water user or users in a protected area, as determined appropriate by the parties. The meetings and negotiations shall not be subject to the provisions of Article 9 (commencing with Section 11120) of Chapter 1 of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code or Chapter 9 (commencing with Section 54950) of Part 1 of Division 2 of Title 5 of the Government Code. (e) Nothing in this section shall be construed as a limitation on the authority of the board to establish water quality standards or to subject water right entitlements to terms and conditions for the protection of reasonable and beneficial uses consistent with the provisions of Section 2 of Article X of the California Constitution. (Added by Stats. 1984, Ch. 1655, Sec. 2.)