(1) Any irrigation district organized under this chapter may, for compensation, reimbursement, or otherwise, within limits established by the state Constitution, assist the owners of land receiving water distributed by the irrigation district or discharging, with the district’s approval, water from the land into irrigation district-maintained facilities to finance, acquire, install, lease, and use equipment, fixtures, programs, and systems to conserve, improve, preserve, and efficiently use the land, water delivered by the irrigation district, or water discharged from the land into irrigation district-maintained facilities. Assistance may include, but is not limited to, grants, loans, and financing to purchase, lease, install, and use approved conservation, improvement, and preservation equipment, fixtures, programs, and systems. The equipment, fixtures, programs, and systems may be leased, purchased, or installed by a private business, the owner of the land, or the irrigation district. “Conserve,” “improve,” and “preserve” as used in this section, include enhancing the quality of water delivered by the irrigation district or discharged from the land into irrigation district-maintained facilities.

(2) The district may charge the owner and the land if district money or credit is used or extended to provide the assistance in subsection (1) of this section. The district’s board of directors may also levy and fix assessments, rates, tolls, and charges and collect them from all persons for whom, and all land on which, district money or credit is provided, or the board may require landowner repayment for landowner assistance by assessments, charges, rates, or tolls in the same manner as provided by RCW 87.03.445.