Section 12879.6.

(a) The sum of forty million dollars ($40,000,000) of the money in the fund shall be deposited in the Water Conservation and Groundwater Recharge Account and shall be available for appropriation by the Legislature for loans to local agencies to aid in the acquisition and construction of voluntary, cost-effective capital outlay water conservation programs and groundwater recharge facilities.

(b) No eligible project may receive more than five million dollars ($5,000,000) in loans from the department.

(c) The department shall set priority for loans under this section for voluntary, cost-effective capital outlay water conservation programs on the basis of the cost effectiveness of the proposed project, with the most cost-effective projects receiving the highest priority.

(d) The department shall set priority for loans under this section for groundwater recharge facilities for projects in overdrafted groundwater basins and those projects in critical need, for projects whose feasibility studies show the greatest economic justification and the greatest engineering and hydrogeologic feasibility, as determined by the department, and for projects located in areas which have existing water management programs.

(e) The department may make loans to local agencies, at the interest rates authorized pursuant to this chapter and under any terms and conditions as may be determined necessary by the department, for the purposes of financing feasibility studies of projects potentially eligible for funding pursuant to this section. No single potential project shall be eligible to receive more than one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000), and not more than 3 percent of the total amount of bonds authorized to be expended for the purposes of this section may be expended for these purposes.

(Amended (as proposed to be added by Stats. 1988, Ch. 46) by Stats. 1988, Ch. 297, Sec. 4. Addition of this section, as amended, approved November 8, 1988, by adoption of Proposition 82.)