Section 71731.
Cal. Water Code - WAT § 71731.
in effect(a)
The district shall not use sole source contracts unless one of the following conditions is met:
(1)
The contract is limited to an emergency circumstance.
(2)
The circumstances are that only one vendor can meet the district’s needs.
(b)
Before executing a sole source contract, the district shall provide written justification demonstrating the reasons for not competitively bidding the services. The justification shall include all of the following information:
(1)
The background
of the purchase.
(2)
A description of the vendor’s uniqueness.
(3)
An explanation of the consequences of not purchasing from the vendor.
(4)
Market research to substantiate a lack of competition.
(5)
An analysis of pricing and alternatives.
Source: CA Legislative Counsel Bulk DataURL: https://downloads.leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/pubinfo_2025.zipFetched: 6/27/2026