Wat. Code, § 14004

As used in this chapter, the following terms shall have the following meanings:

(a) “Committee” means the Safe Drinking Water Finance Committee created by Section 14032.

(b) “Cost-per-connection” means the total amount of funds in grants or loans, or combination thereof, to be provided by the department to a supplier for any project, divided by the number of service connections in the water system.

(c) “Department” means the Department of Water Resources.

(d) “Domestic water system” means a system for the provision to the public of piped water for human consumption, if the system has at least five service connections or regularly supplies water to at least 25 individuals. The term includes any water supply, treatment, storage, and distribution facilities under the control of the operator of the system.

(e) “Fund” means the California Safe Drinking Water Fund created pursuant to Section 14010.

(f) “Supplier” or “supplier of water” means any person, partnership, corporation, association, or other entity or political subdivision of the state which owns or operates a domestic water system.

(g) “Federal assistance” means funds available, or which may become available, to a supplier either directly or through allocation by the state from the federal government as grants or loans for the improvement of domestic water systems.

(h) “Treatment works” means any devices or systems used in the treatment of water supplies, including necessary lands, which render water supplies pure, wholesome, and potable for domestic purposes.

(i) “Project” means proposed facilities for the construction, improvement, or rehabilitation of the domestic water system, and may include water supply, treatment works, and all or part of a water distribution system, if necessary to carry out the purpose of this chapter.

(j) “Public agency” means any city, county, city and county, district, joint powers authority, or other political subdivision of the state which owns or operates a domestic water system. For purposes of this chapter, Chapter 10.2 (commencing with Section 13810), Chapter 10.5 (commencing with Section 13850), Chapter 10.6 (commencing with Section 13880), and Chapter 10.7 (commencing with Section 13895) a political subdivision of the state may be any public agency.