1. (a) As an alternative to the procedure contained in K.S.A. 82a-646, and amendments thereto, the owners of land located in a rural water district who desire for their land to be released from such district and attached to a different district may proceed in accordance with this section. A petition to release such land shall be filed with the board of directors of the district in which such land is located. The petition shall:

   1. (1) Describe the land sought to be released;
   2. (2) state the name and number of the rural water district to which the owners seek to have such land attached; and

   3. (3) state that such release is sought conditioned upon the attachment thereof by such other rural water district.

      Such petition shall be signed by at least 75% of the owners of the land affected. The ownership shall be determined by an enumeration of landowners taken from the tax rolls of the county in which the land is located.

      Within 30 days of receipt of such petition the board of directors of the district shall call and hold a hearing on the advisability of granting such petition. The board shall give notice of such hearing in the same manner provided by K.S.A. 82a-646, and amendments thereto. On the date of such hearing, the board shall approve or disapprove such release based on its determination of the best interests of the district and the petitioning landowners.

2. (b) Following approval of such petition for release, a petition for attachment of such lands shall be filed with the board of directors of the district to which such land is sought to be attached. The petition shall:

   1. (1) Describe the land sought to be attached;
   2. (2) request that the owners thereof seek to have such land attached to the district; and

   3. (3) have attached to it a copy of the approval of release of such land by the board of directors of the district in which such land was conditionally released. Such petition shall be signed by at least 75% of the owners of the land affected. Ownership shall be determined by an enumeration of landowners taken from the tax rolls of the county in which the land is located.

      Within 30 days of receipt of such petition the board of directors of the district shall call and hold a hearing on the advisability of granting such petition. Notice of such hearing shall be provided in the manner provided by K.S.A. 82a-646, and amendments thereto, by the board of directors. On the date of such hearing, the board shall approve or disapprove such attachment based on its determination of the best interests of the district and the petitioning landowners. If the board does not approve of such attachment, it shall notify the district from which release had been sought, which district shall then declare such release to be void.

3. (c) If the district to which release is sought approves of the release of such lands and the district to which attachment is sought approves of attachment of such lands, copies of the approval of such action by the boards of directors of each district shall be transmitted to the chief engineer. Copies also shall be filed with the county clerk, who shall note the change of such district's boundaries.
4. (d) Nothing in this section shall be construed as limiting landowners from using the procedures for attachment or release of property otherwise provided in K.S.A. 82a-622 et seq., and amendments thereto.

L. 1999, ch. 161, § 1; L. 2005, ch. 142, § 2; April 21.