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RULES AND REGULATIONS
Governing the Distribution of Water in the
SOLANO IRRIGATION DISTRICT

Revised to March 17, 1980

And superseding and canceling all rules and regulations governing distribution of water heretofore made.

Section I. Changes and Additions to Distribution System

1. Under provisions of California Law, all land division maps and subdivision maps for lands within District boundaries must be presented to the District staff for review and signature. Such review of the owner's map will be subject to payment of a fee to the District in accordance with a Schedule of Rates set by the Board of Directors. When arrangements satisfactory to the District have been made for constructing any new facilities which may be required for relocating existing facilities, and/or protecting existing facilities during owner's construction of improvements, the District will provide written approval of the map. (Board Policy 1973; revised 1978)

2. When a parcel of land is subdivided, the District will, on the written request of the subdivider, install whatever facilities are necessary to adequately serve water to the various parcels, but the entire cost of design and construction of the necessary alterations shall be paid by the subdivider. The subdivider may construct the new facilities subject to approval of plans and specifications and inspection by the District and provided the necessary rights of way are conveyed to the District for operation and maintenance of said facilities.

   Upon completion of the new facilities to the satisfaction of the District Engineer, the ownership and responsibility for operation and maintenance of the new facilities will be accepted by the District. A certificate of such acceptance or such other agreements as may be deemed appropriate will be executed.

3. If a parcel of land is subdivided, and the above request to the District is not received, or if the District does not have sufficient time to construct the necessary facilities before water is required by one, or any, of the new owners, or if the District has not issued a certificate of acceptance for new facilities and right-of-way as required by Paragraph 2, the District may refuse to deliver water to any of the subdivided parcels. No water will be delivered across property not owned by the water user without a written agreement satisfactory to the District.

4. Annexation and detachment of lands comes under the jurisdiction of the Solano County Local Agency Formation Commission. However, District support for such proposals is subject to the policies of the District's Board of Directors. Detachment of lands from the District are subject to payment of detachment fees which can be computed by District staff under a formula approved by the Local Agency Formation Commission. Annexation petitions are prepared by the District staff in accordance with policies and priorities determined by the Board. Preparation of such applications is subject to payment of fees as determined by the Board.

Section II. General Operating Rules

1. The water system and works of the District are under the exclusive management and control of the Board of Directors through its authorized agents, and no other persons shall have any right to interfere with the said system and works in any manner.

2. The Manager, or his authorized assistants, shall have the right to go upon the property of landowners to check condition and capacity of private ditches, pipelines and other water facilities.

3. The District may from time to time substitute water from other District sources for Solano Project water. Such other sources may include wells, drainage water, and reclaimed wastewater.

4. All private ditches, pipelines, and other facilities for handling the water, shall be kept clean and in repair. The District may refuse delivery of water until this rule is complied with.

5. All deliveries of water from Lake Berryessa are subject to the provisions of the contract between the District and the Solano County Flood Control and Water Conservation District, and to the Master Contract between the latter District and the United States of America. The official "Water Year" according to these contracts begins on March 1 of each year.

6. The District will not be liable for any damage of any kind or nature resulting directly or indirectly from any private ditch or pipeline or the water flowing therein, or for negligent, wasteful or other use or handling of water by the users thereof. The District's responsibility shall absolutely cease when the water leaves the canal or a pipeline of the District. The water user will be responsible for installing protective devices to protect his private pump or other facilities from damage due to low water and low pressure which may occur from time to time in the District's water system.

7. Each property owner shall be responsible to the District for all damage to District property caused by negligent or careless acts of himself or his agent. The cost of all such damage to the District shall be billed to the landowner.

8. Any construction or repair work by District employees and/or equipment for private landowners, whether performed under Rule 7 or at the request of the landowner, shall be billed to the landowner and shall accrue interest at the rate of 1-1/2 % per month if unpaid after 90 days from date of billing. Work performed at the request of the landowner will require a deposit in the amount of the material costs of the project before work will commence.

9. No chemicals, sewage, containers, rubbish, garbage, manure or refuse, dead animals or animal matter from any barnyard, stable, dairy, chicken yard, hog pen or animal feed yard, shall be placed in or allowed to be emptied into any ditch, canal or pipeline which is operated or maintained by the District or within any District lands or rights of way.

10. No tree or vine prunings, brush, weeds, grass or other materials shall be either dumped into the canals or placed on or adjacent to the canal banks where they might fall, slide or be blown into the District canals or drain ditches.

11. No opening or connection shall be made or structures placed in any District canal or pipelines except by employees of the District, or with written approval of the District.

12. District employees are forbidden to loan maps, records, tools, machinery or other District property without the consent of the Manager.

13. District assessments and standby charges are collected by the Solano County Tax Collector. Assessment rates are fixed annually by the Board of Directors to raise the revenue required to meet annual payments on federal loans and bonds authorized by District voters for construction of the water system. Assessed value of land is determined by the Solano County Assessor. Assessments are levied on the value of land only.

    Standby charges are levied on all parcels of land containing more than five acres to provide revenue for operation and maintenance of the water system. For the purpose of establishing a schedule for this charge, lands are classified in accordance with Solano Irrigation District Resolution No. 76-8, and subsequent Resolutions of the Board establishing standby charges.

14. Refusal to comply with the requirements hereof, or transgression of any of the rules and regulations, or failure to pay any water toll or charge, or any interference with the discharge of the duties of any official, shall be sufficient cause for cessation of water deliveries, and water will not again be furnished until full compliance has been made with all requirements herein set forth.

Section III. Delivery of Irrigation Water

1. Applications for Water Use.

   a. Applications for water use must be filled prior to March 1 each year on forms furnished by the District. If an application for agricultural water use shall not be received prior to March 1, that land shall not be entitled to receive water during the "water year". If the Board should determine that the District is facing a water shortage, the Board will allocate and provide for the distribution of water at the start of the "water year".

   b. In any circumstance in which the District has reason to believe that atypical water consumption practices may be incurred in regard to the irrigation of crops or supply of water for any consumptive purposes, the District will require a specific application and estimation as to the amounts of water which are proposed to be used. Such application must be approved by the Board prior to delivery of any water for the proposed use.

2. When delivery of water is made, the water shall be used day and night until the irrigation is completed.

3. The official agricultural irrigation season shall start April 1st of each year and end October 15th. Cooperation from the water user is essential so that proper maintenance of the systems may be completed. However, every reasonable attempt will be made by the District to deliver water when it is necessary for the protection of crops which are planted, provided that the water user has made special arrangements with the District for this service.

   Such special arrangements will include payment of unusual losses incurred by the District due to operation of the water system under abnormal conditions.

4. No irrigation water will be delivered unless ordered by a landowner or his authorized agent. The District will assume the employees or tenants of the owner to be his authorized agents unless notified to the contrary in writing.

5. An irrigator must order water by 2:00 p.m. the day prior to the delivery date desired. Water may be ordered either from the watertender or by telephone to the District office.

6. In areas of the District where the distribution systems have reached their capacity as determined by the original design criteria, it may be necessary to rotate water to the various irrigators. Service will be furnished as close as possible to the date ordered, but if an irrigator is not ready and water is delivered to another user, the irrigator must wait until capacity is available.

7. Irrigators must give notice of the completion of an irrigation by 2:00 p.m. on the day before completion, either to the District office or direct to the watertender. If such notice is not given they will be required to continue using water, or pay for the water until the delivery of that water is started at another location or until shut off can be accomplished at the headworks. In most instances, such a shut off includes a reduction in flow at Lake Solano into headworks of the Putah South Canal.

   Unless other arrangements are made by the watertender, changes, shutoffs, and starts of water will be scheduled between 6:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m.

8. If water is ordered, and the irrigator is not ready to receive water at the time it was ordered, the irrigator may be required to pay for the water until he is ready to take delivery. If another irrigator needs the water the watertender may transfer the water, and in that event the irrigator originally ordering the water must wait until another head is available for his use.

9. If there is a material fluctuation in the head observed by the irrigator, the watertender shall be notified as soon as possible, with the approximate time or times of the fluctuation.

10. When an irrigation is completed the watertender will complete a form showing the date and hour the water was turned on, the date and hour that water was turned off, and the rates of flow that he has recorded. One copy of this report shall be turned in at the District office and retained on file by the Water Operations Department.

11. Any grievance or complaint of a landowner or an irrigator that cannot be settled directly with the watertender may be appealed to the Watermaster. If such complaint involves measurement of water for a specific irrigation cycle, the appeal must be initiated within thirty (30) days of receipt of billing for that irrigation. From the action of the Watermaster, appeal may be made to the District manager and from his decision, appeal may be made to the Board of Directors.

12. Irrigators protesting accuracy of measured deliveries may demand a check on the measuring device. Adjustments, if any, will be made from the date the accuracy check is requested.

13. Where private temporary service ditches are constructed paralleling District canals and drains, a full and complete bank must be constructed adjacent to and in addition to the bank of the District canal or drain so paralleled.

14. No fences or other obstructions shall be placed across or upon any District canal or bank or right of way of any canal bank without the written permission of the Board of Directors. Trespassing is prohibited in accordance with the provisions of Solano County Ordinance No. 564.

15. No horses, sheep, cattle, or other livestock may be pastured or allowed to trespass upon District canals at any time. Fencing to prevent their entrance shall be the responsibility of the landowner.

16. No private irrigation or drainage ditch may be constructed parallel to or over District pipelines within District right of way. Any irrigation ditch or drainage ditch that crosses or infringes on the District right of way shall not be constructed without prior written permission from the Board of Directors.

17. The Board of Directors shall fix rates for the use of water prior to April 1st each year for the following irrigation season. Copies of the rates in effect will be furnished on request.

18. All irrigators will be billed monthly for measured water used the previous month.

19. If a bill for water used on a parcel is unpaid 30 days after the date of billing, service of irrigation water to that parcel shall be discontinued until the irrigator has paid for all water received and interest at the rate of 1-1/2% per month will be charged until paid.

    If the delinquency date falls on a Saturday or Sunday, irrigators will be allowed until water order time, 2:00 p.m. in the afternoon of the Monday following the delinquency date, to pay their water bill.

20. When the water user on a parcel is a tenant, the landowner will be sent a copy of any delinquent bills.

21. Unpaid District charges are a lien on the land upon which the water was used. Amounts that are unpaid prior to the completion of the next assessment roll, together with penalty and/or interest, will be added to, and become a part of, the annual assessment levied against the land.

22. When a tenant-water user has failed to pay a District water bill, and the bill has been collected from the landowner, the District will refuse service to that water user on any parcel of land within the District, until the water user places a cash deposit with the District to cover the estimated water costs. When the deposit is exhausted, service will be refused until additional monies are deposited.

23. Upon receipt of a written request from the landowner prior to beginning of an irrigation season, the District will require the tenant water user to post a deposit before water is delivered, and delivery of water shall be discontinued when the deposit is exhausted.

    Once a water user has started irrigation for the season, a request from the landowner requiring a deposit will not be honored for the balance of that season, unless the water user agrees to post the deposit.

24. Irrigators that are irrigating small areas on a flat rate basis must place their orders with the District office or with the watertender before 2:00 p.m. the day prior to the date delivery is requested. Unless the irrigator is notified that water is not available, he will open the gate and start irrigating at the time he requested the water.

    The District reserves the right to increase flat rate charges during the season on parcels where irrigators persist in wasting water.

    District reserves the right to measure and calculate the acreage on all land irrigated under the fiat rate rule.

Section IV. Delivery of Municipal and Industrial Water

A. General Conditions:

1. Any water sold or delivered by the District for other than agricultural irrigation, and any water sold to owners of less than two acres of land, shall be known as M & I water.

2. All installation costs for any M & I delivery shall be paid by the landowners. All plans shall be approved by the District Engineer and any cost of supervision of the installation of the necessary facilities shall be paid by the landowner.

3. Application for M & I water service shall be made on forms furnished by the District.

4. There shall be no cross-connections between pipelines carrying water served by the District and any other water supply on the premises of the landowners except by special permit, which will be subject to Solano County Health Department approval.

5. Water charges will be billed in accordance with the District Water Rate Schedule for Municipal and Industrial Water. If payment is not made 30 days after date of billing, service of water to that parcel may be discontinued until the user has paid for all water delivered, and interest at the rate of 1-1/2% per month will be charged until paid.

6. New service in some subdivided areas of the District is subject to connection fees to reimburse the District for cost of special distribution facilities. Fees will be in accordance with the appropriate section of the Connection Fee Schedule adopted by the Board of Directors.

B. Raw Untreated Water.

1. Raw M & I water is sold as untreated water that is not fit for human consumption.

2. Whenever raw M & I water is to be used for domestic consumption, service will not be given until the installation of the user has been approved by the Solano County Health Department, and the service will be discontinued at any time the Solano County Health Department notifies the District that the user's equipment for filtering or treating said water is not operating properly. It shall be the responsibility of the landowner to comply with all of the provisions of Section 7583 to Section 7615, inclusive, of Title 17 of California Administrative Code.

   In conformance with Solano County Ordinance No. 926 (Septic Tank Ordinance) the District must provide periodic Inspection of private water treatment equipment used to treat District raw water supplies in cooperation with the Solano County Health Department. Inspection includes periodic water sampling and analysis at intervals specified by the County Ordinance. Monthly charges for this service will be billed in accordance with the applicable current Water Rate Schedule adopted by the Board of Directors.

C. Potable Domestic Water.

1. Potable domestic water service is available in limited areas of the District where facilities have been provided for that service. Service for areas inside the common boundaries of Suisun City and Solano Irrigation District is subject to the rules and regulations established by the Suisun City-Solano Irrigation District Joint Power Authority.

   Charges for potable or treated water service will be in accordance with the applicable portion of the M & I Water Rate Schedule which is available in the District office on request.

Section V. Drainage

1. Irrigators wasting water on roads, vacant land, or lands previously irrigated, either willfully, carelessly, or on account of defective ditches or inadequately prepared land, or who shall flood certain portions of the land for an unreasonable length of time, in order to properly irrigate other portion's, may be refused the use of water until such conditions are remedied.

2. Owners are referred to Solano County Ordinance No. 528. Should the County notify the District that an owner is in violation, the District may insist on corrective measures. Should the violations persist, the District wilt, at the request of the County, cease further delivery of water.

3. Before allowing water to drain or waste into drain ditches constructed and/or maintained by the District, landowners must construct, install and maintain outfall structures approved by the District Engineer so as to protect the drains from erosion and damage. General Operating Rule No. 7 will apply if damage is caused by non-compliance.

4. The District will, at the discretion of the Board of Directors, construct or provide for the use of main drainage channels for the conveying of irrigation drainage or surface runoff to natural channels or other disposal areas as long as funds are available.

   (a) Location of main drainage channels shall be in locations recommended by the District Engineer and approved by the Board of Directors.

   (b) All landowners will have the right to use the above mentioned channels, but must provide inlet structures as approved by the District Engineer to prevent erosion of banks and deposit of sediment in channels.

5. The District will assist any landowner or group of landowners in the location and engineering of feeder drains necessary for the conveyance of waters from the land to the main drains.

   (a) If landowners are not able to secure a right of way or easement across adjoining land that is needed to convey waters to a main drain, the District will assist in securing said easements or right of way over the most feasible route.

6. If construction of tile drains, installation of drainage pumps, or other remedial measures are necessary for relief from perched water table, or other cause of excessive ground water height, the District will, in accordance with Paragraph 4, provide a main channel to convey water to a disposal area. Pumping, tiling, lateral drain ditches or other measures needed for the protection of landowners' property, and/or to convey water to the main drain channel, will be the responsibility of the landowner.

   (a) The District will assist with engineering and the securing of other professional assistance in devising the best and most economic means of solving the problem.

   (b) Individuals or groups constructing facilities to carry pumped ground water across other landowner's property on an easement secured by the District must, in the orchard area, construct either concrete lined ditches or pipelines to carry the water. Construction plans are to be approved by District Engineer.

   (c) The District may operate pumps, construct test drains, and do other investigative and exploratory work needed before permanent remedial measures can be recommended, but such work shall not obligate the District to continue pumping groundwater.

7. No drainage water may be pumped into a District canal or pipeline unless the quality of the water is such that it can be used for irrigation purposes, and with approval of the Board of Directors.