Wat. Code, § 31701.5

The amount of any charges for water and other services or either included in the statement of delinquent and unpaid charges pursuant to subdivision (e) of Section 31701 shall be added to and become a part of the annual taxes next levied upon the property upon which the water for which the charges are unpaid was used and upon the property subject to the charges for any other district services and shall constitute a lien on that property as of the same time and in the same manner as does the tax lien securing such annual taxes. All laws applicable to the levy, collection and enforcement of municipal ad valorem taxes shall be applicable to such charges, except that if any real property to which such lien would attach has been transferred or conveyed to a bona fide purchaser for value, or if a lien of a bona fide encumbrancer for value has been created and attaches thereon, prior to the date on which the first installment of such taxes would become delinquent, then the lien which would otherwise be imposed by this section shall not attach to such real property and the delinquent and unpaid charges relating to such property shall be transferred to the unsecured roll for collection. The county shall deduct from the charges collected an amount sufficient to compensate the county for costs incurred in collecting such delinquent and unpaid charges. The amount of such compensation shall be fixed by agreement between the board of supervisors and the district’s board of directors.