ORANGE COUNTY WATER DISTRICT (OCWD)

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Agreement, all Parties expressly waive any future challenge to the legal authority of the other Parties to enter into this Agreement, or to the authority of any other Party to fund the programs described in this Agreement. 10.14 Construction and Amendment. The terms of this Agreement will be construed in accordance with the plain meaning of the language used and will not be construed for or against any Party by reason of the authorship of this Agreement or any other rule of construction which might otherwise apply. The headings of sections and paragraphs of this Agreement are for convenience or reference only and will not be construed to limit or extend the meaning of the terms, covenants and conditions of this Agreement. This Agreement may only be amended by the mutual consent of the Parties by an instrument in writing. 10.15 No Admissions. Nothing in this Agreement may be deemed an admission. Moreover, no language that may have previously been circulated in prior drafts of this Agreement, but subsequently removed at the request of a Producer, shall be used by either Party as evidence, or in any other manner, in litigation currently pending in Los Angeles Superior Court between OCWD and the City of Anaheim, Yorba Linda Water District, Golden State Water Company, Mesa Water District, and East Orange County Water District on the one hand, and Irvine Ranch Water District (IRWD) on the other, Case No. BS168278 [Lead Case] Case No. BS175192 [Consolidated Case] (the "Litigation"), as such Litigation may be amended from time to time. 10.16 Additional Parties. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement, OCWD is authorized to allow other groundwater pumpers in the Basin adversely impacted by PFAS, but not named in this Agreement, to become Parties to and execute this Agreement without obtaining the concurrence of the other Parties to this Agreement or otherwise modifying this Agreement (except to add an additional signature block). 10.17 Effective Date and Bindine Effect. The date OCWD executes this Agreement shall be the Effective Date of this Agreement. Each Party executing the Agreement thereafter shall be bound by, and benefit from, the terms of this Agreement on the date that Parry executes the Agreement, notwithstanding that other Parties have not yet executed the Agreement. No Party shall be bound by this Agreement until such Party has executed this Agreement, nor shall any Party that has executed this Agreement owe any contractual duty to any Parry that has not yet executed this Agreement until such other Party executes this Agreement. The timelines referenced in Sections 6.1(C) and 6.2 (G) of this Agreement shall begin to run on the date a Producer executes this Agreement if such date is after the Effective Date. 10.18 Electronic Signatures. Any Party may execute this Agreement using an "electronic signature," as that term is defined in California Civil Code Section 1633.2, or a "digital signature," as defined by California Government Code Section 16.5. An electronic or digital signature will have full legal effect and enforceability. Nothing in this Agreement requires any Party to use or accept the submission of any subsequent or related document containing an electronic or digital signature where written notice is otherwise required by this Agreement. [SIGNATURES FOLLOW] 1629/022499-0097 14979764.1 a04/17/20 -18-