A. The city has acquired significant water rights and lands and facilities associated with those water rights for the purpose of assuring the inhabitants of the city as it now exists or as it may be constituted in the future with an adequate municipal water supply. The city also operates and administers the Kern River Levee District. It is the policy of the city that the administration of the city’s lands, facilities and rights associated with water be carried out to preserve and conserve such rights and facilities for such future use by the city.

B. The purpose of the water board shall be to make recommendations to city council regarding the regulation, control, management, renewal, repair, replacement, and preservation of the water rights, and water associated with those rights, and the water facilities and related lands of the city consistent with this policy. In administering and implementing this policy, it shall make every effort to conserve water for the benefit of the present and future inhabitants, including the protection, preservation and augmentation of the underground water supply. All such decisions shall be accomplished by a majority of the water board, comprised of officers of the city as an honest exercise of reasonable discretion. (Ord. 4806 § 1, 2015; Ord. 3967 § 6, 2000; Ord. 2632 § 1, 1981)