Terms Used In California Codes > Water Code > Division 7 > Chapter 5 > Article 1 - Administrative Enforcement and Remedies

• Complaint: A written statement by the plaintiff stating the wrongs allegedly committed by the defendant.
• Contamination: includes any equivalent effect resulting from the disposal of waste, whether or not waters of the state are affected. See California Water Code 13050
• Damages: Money paid by defendants to successful plaintiffs in civil cases to compensate the plaintiffs for their injuries.
• Evidence: Information presented in testimony or in documents that is used to persuade the fact finder (judge or jury) to decide the case for one side or the other.
• Hazardous substance: means either of the following:

  California Water Code 13050

• Injunction: An order of the court prohibiting (or compelling) the performance of a specific act to prevent irreparable damage or injury.
• Lien: A claim against real or personal property in satisfaction of a debt.
• Nuisance: means anything which meets all of the following requirements:

  California Water Code 13050

• Obligation: An order placed, contract awarded, service received, or similar transaction during a given period that will require payments during the same or a future period.
• Person: includes any city, county, district, the state, and the United States, to the extent authorized by federal law. See California Water Code 13050
• Pollution: means an alteration of the quality of the waters of the state by waste to a degree which unreasonably affects either of the following:

  California Water Code 13050

• Regional board: means any California regional water quality control board for a region as specified in Section 13200. See California Water Code 13050
• Settlement: Parties to a lawsuit resolve their difference without having a trial. Settlements often involve the payment of compensation by one party in satisfaction of the other party's claims.
• State: means the State of California, unless applied to the different parts of the United States. See California Water Code 18
• State board: means the State Water Resources Control Board. See California Water Code 13050
• Statute: A law passed by a legislature.
• Waste: includes sewage and any and all other waste substances, liquid, solid, gaseous, or radioactive, associated with human habitation, or of human or animal origin, or from any producing, manufacturing, or processing operation, including waste placed within containers of whatever nature prior to, and for purposes of, disposal. See California Water Code 13050
• Water quality control: means the regulation of any activity or factor which may affect the quality of the waters of the state and includes the prevention and correction of water pollution and nuisance. See California Water Code 13050
• Waters of the state: means any surface water or groundwater, including saline waters, within the boundaries of the state. See California Water Code 13050
• Writ: A formal written command, issued from the court, requiring the performance of a specific act.