Monserrat Solis / SJV Water

Residents of the Tulare County town of East Orosi gathered on April 22 for an event many thought might never happen – the official beginning of construction on a new $13.5 million drinking water system.

The state is demanding farmers in Kings and and parts of Tulare counties begin reporting how much groundwater they pump or face fines starting May 1.

Two neighboring groundwater agencies in Kings County are preparing for a showdown over how much farmers can pump even as the state Water Resources Control Board restarted probationary sanctions for farmers in the Tulare Lake subbasin.

Appellate court justices heard arguments Tuesday in the highly watched dispute over whether the state exceeded its authority when it placed the Tulare Lake subbasin on probation last year for failing to come up with an adequate plan to protect the region’s groundwater.