In addition to the other powers provided by law, the Stinson Beach County Water District, Marin County, shall have all of the following powers and shall promptly and effectively exercise such powers as may be appropriate for improving water quality and supply, reducing use of water, and preventing nuisance, pollution, waste, and contamination of water:

(a) To carry on technical and other investigations, examinations, or tests, of all kinds, make measurements, collect data, and make analyses, studies, and inspections pertaining to the water supply, use of water, water quality, nuisance, pollution, waste, and contamination of water, both within and without the district, including, but not limited to, such activities related to use of public, combined, or private septic and septic tank disposal systems.

(b) To regulate, prohibit, or control the discharge of pollutants, waste, or any other materials into the ground or surface waters of the district or the contiguous seashores of the district by requiring dischargers to obtain a permit from the district prior to any such discharge and by prohibiting the discharge of pollutants, sewage, septic drainage, or any other material which does or may cause a nuisance into the ground or surface waters of the district or the contiguous seashores of the district without a permit having first been obtained from the district; to charge fees for the issuance and periodic renewal of such permits in such amount as will defray all or a portion of the costs of exercising the powers provided in this article; to require all permittees to indemnify the district from any and all damages, penalties, or other expenses imposed on or required of the district by federal, state, regional, or local agencies due to any discharge by such permittees into ground or surface waters of the district or the contiguous seashores of the district; to require as a condition of obtaining discharge permits from the district that all such dischargers also obtain state and federal waste discharge permits and any other permits required by federal, state, regional, or local law.

(c) To adopt and enforce regulations within the incorporated and unincorporated areas of the district, after holding a public hearing on reasonable notice thereof, to control and enhance the quality of the ground and surface waters of the district, to eliminate the pollution, waste, and contamination of water flowing into, through, or originating within water courses and impoundments, both natural and artificial, within the district, to prevent contamination, nuisance, pollution, or otherwise rendering unfit for beneficial use the surface or ground water used or useful in the district, and to expend such amounts as are necessary to exercise such powers from the funds of the district.

(d) To increase, to improve the quality of, and to prevent the waste or diminution of the water supply in, or unlawful exportation of water from, the district; to obtain, retain, conserve, treat by physical, chemical, or biological processes, or otherwise reclaim sanitary, sewage, drainage, storm, flood, and other water for beneficial use within the district or for storage, discharge, or disposal in accordance with legally established water quality specifications; and, whenever the board of directors shall find it to be in the best interests of the district so to do, to sell such water for agricultural, domestic, or other beneficial purposes within or without the district upon such terms and conditions as may be prescribed by the board.

(Added by Stats. 1976, Ch. 925.)