how can i sue the state water resources board with no attorney

by Hermina Kassulke 10 min read

Before a citizen can file a citizen suit against any alleged violator, the Clean Water Act requires citizen plaintiffs to send a 60-day Notice of (their) Intent to File Suit to the entity for its alleged violation, and copy the state regulatory agency and the U.S. EPA Administrator.

Full Answer

Can I sue the water company?

Aug 16, 2021 · An individual can sue the water company depending on the facts of the circumstances. Although a water company may be a public utility that is run by the government, they typically do not get governmental immunity. In addition to suing to have an individual’s service restored, they may also sue for damages suffered while the individual was ...

Do I need a lawyer for water disputes?

Nov 08, 2017 · Published by: Somach Simmons & Dunn November 8, 2017. In early November, two separate lawsuits were filed by coalitions of environmental groups, alleging that the State Water Resources Control Board (State Board) failed to determine that various water bodies are “impaired” for pollutants.

Are there any law firms in California that offer water rights consulting?

Oct 11, 2021 · Water Rights Consulting Attorneys who work with Water Rights. Attorney List. The firms listed have indicated that they preform services in the area of California water law or water rights consulting. The Division of Water Rights does …

What to do if the water company terminates Your Service?

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Which of the following is not a step involved in obtaining a water rights permit in California?

Which of the following is NOT a step involved in obtaining a water rights permit in California? Testing the water quality to ensure it is drinkable. When a well runs dry, one way to bring new water to the system is through hydrofracking. What is hydrofracking?

Who regulates Water rights in California?

Temporary transfers of post 1914 water rights are initiated by petition to the State Board. If the Board finds the proposed transfer will not injure any other legal user of water and will not unreasonably affect fish, wildlife or other instream users, then the transfer is approved.Aug 20, 2020

What percentage of an individual's water right can be leased?

The amount of water leased shall not exceed 25 percent of the water that would have been applied or stored by the lessor in the absence of the lease agreement in any given hydrological year.

What are riparian water rights in California?

Riparian rights gained legal recognition after California was granted statehood. ... Under the law, owners of land that physically touches a water source have a right to use water from that source that has not been deemed appropriated by another party.

What is a state water resource development system right of way?

(d) “Right-of-way” means any property interest acquired by the department for State Water Resources Development System purposes, including but not limited to, an easement, license, permit, joint use agreement, or fee ownership.

What are prescriptive water rights?

A prescriptive right is a right that is acquired through adverse possession of someone else's water right. It is similar to a “squatter's right” to land. Prescriptive rights are difficult to obtain and can only be granted by a court.Mar 18, 2021

What is a water lease?

A claim on water is usually attached to a specific piece of land and for a specific purpose. ... By basically leasing their right to water instead of selling it, the farmers aren't permanently divorcing their water from the land.Aug 1, 2015

What is the difference between prior appropriation and riparian rights?

* A riparian right is not lost by non-use. Prior Appropriation: ... An appropriative right depends upon continued use of the water and may be lost through non-use. Unlike riparian rights, these rights can generally be sold or transferred, and long-term storage is not only permissible but common.

Why is water important?

Because water is very important, the water company must provide service to all people who want it and pay its rates. A water company has a duty to provide all of its customers with an adequate supply of water that can be used without harming their health and at an appropriate level of pressure. If a customer has faithfully paid ...

What happens if you fail to pay your water bill?

If a customer has faithfully paid the water bill over the years, it is implied that the water company will continue to provide water service as long as the bills are paid. Failing to supply water to a paying customer is a breach of contract . A water company is responsible for all damages that result from failing to supply its customer as promised.

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Table of Contents

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Printable Versions

  • CITIZEN SUIT REPORT Complete Report with Attachments. May 2011 (23 MB) | Cover CITIZEN SUIT REPORT(Without Attachments) ATTACHMENT A- 60-Day Notices ATTACHMENT B- Summary Spreadsheet ATTACHMENT C - Combined Summaries ATTACHMENT D- Settlements (Complete File) 1. As Seperate Files: 2. American Metal Recycling, Inc. 3. Arcata, City of 4. Baldw…
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I. Introduction and Summary

  • The Office of Enforcement (OE) began tracking citizen suit notices under the federal Clean Water Act starting in March 2009. Prior that time, neither the State Water Resources Control Board (Water Board) nor any of the regional water boards tracked these notices on a regular basis. This analysis is prepared for notices received by the Water Boards through June 2010. This report tra…
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II. Citizen Suits Are Encouraged by Federal Law

  • National Pollution Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permits establish effluent limitations (treated or untreated wastewater from a treatment plant, sewer, or industrial site), monitoring protocols, and reporting requirements. The United States Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) and the state’s enforce violations of the Clean Water Act through civil enforcement and cri…
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III. The Office of Enforcement Tracks Citizen Suit Notices

  • The status of the matters is based on information received by OE through December 31, 2010. OE staff contacted the citizen organizations and/or the regulated entities periodically for updates on the status of the actions. Where there was a lawsuit initiated or a settlement filed, we asked for the relevant documents. Some citizen organizations were cooperative, others were less coopera…
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Analysis

  • A. Outcomes of Citizen Enforcement Actions.
    An overall summary of the status of the 60 Notices of Intent to Sue is set forth in Attachment B. For those Notices of Intent to Sue that were resolved during the report period, summaries of the individual actions are set forth in Attachment C. Of those sixty (60) notices, we have informatio…
  • B. Who are the Organizations Filling These Notices?
    Orange County Coastkeeper Northern California River Watch California Sportfishing Protection Alliance San Francisco Baykeeper Global Community Monitor Santa Monica Baykeeper Communities for a Better Environment Ecological Rights Foundation Environmental World Watc…
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VI. Conclusion

  • The limited information collected for this report indicates that citizen suit enforcement in California fulfills the role contemplated by the Clean Water Act. For the most part, citizen enforcement does not conflict with the enforcement priorities of the regional water boards but instead acts as an independent complement to the enforcement activities of the Water Boards. …
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