Section 11-89-7 Powers of District Generally; Power of District to Acquire, Operate, Etc., Systems, Etc., Outside Service Area; Provisions in Schedules of Rates and Charges Generally.

(a) The district shall have the following powers, together with all powers incidental thereto or necessary to the discharge thereof in corporate form: (1) To have succession by its corporate name for the duration of time (which may be perpetuity, subject to the provisions of Section 11-89-17) specified in its certificate of incorporation; (2) To sue and be sued in its own name in civil actions, except as otherwise provided in this chapter, and to defend civil actions against it; (3) To adopt and make use of a corporate seal and to alter the same at pleasure; (4) To adopt and alter bylaws for the regulation and conduct of its affairs and business; (5) To acquire, receive, and take, by purchase, gift, lease, devise, or otherwise, and to hold property of every description, real, personal, or mixed, whether located in one or more counties or municipalities and whether located within or outside the service area; (6) To make, enter into, and execute such contracts, agreements, leases, and other instruments and to take such other actions as may be necessary or convenient to accomplish any purpose for which the district was organized or to exercise any power expressly granted under this section; (7) To plan, establish, develop, acquire, purchase, lease, construct, reconstruct, enlarge, improve, maintain, equip, and operate water systems, sewer systems, and fire protection facilities or any part or combination of any thereof, whether located in one or more counties or municipalities and whether located within or outside any service area and without any requirement that such water systems, sewer systems, or fire protection facilities or all or any part of any thereof be interconnected or otherwise constitute an integrated operational unit, and to acquire real and personal property, franchises, and easements deemed necessary or desirable in connection therewith; (8) To distribute and sell water, either at retail or for resale, within the service area or in any part thereof or to or on behalf of one or more counties, municipalities, or other public corporations upon such reasonable terms and for such reasonable rates and consideration as the board may prescribe; (9) To furnish and provide sewer service in the service area or in any part thereof or to or on behalf of one or more counties, municipalities, or other public corporations upon such reasonable terms and for such reasonable rates and consideration as the board may prescribe; provided, however, that nothing in this chapter shall authorize any district to collect, transport, treat, or dispose of solid wastes or charge for the collection, transportation, treatment, or disposal of solid wastes from any industrial, manufacturing, or utility plant without consent from the owners or operators of such plant; (10) To furnish and provide fire protection service in the service area or in any part thereof or to or on behalf of one or more counties, municipalities, or other public corporations upon such reasonable terms and for such reasonable rates and consideration as the board may prescribe; (11) To sell and issue bonds of the district in order to provide funds for any corporate function, use, or purpose, any such bonds to be payable solely out of the revenues derived from any water system, sewer system, and fire protection facility or any thereof of the district; (12) To assume obligations secured by a lien on or payable out of or secured by a pledge of the revenues from any water system, sewer system, and fire protection facility or any part of any thereof that may be acquired by the district, any obligation so assumed to be payable by the district solely out of the revenues derived from the operation of any water system, sewer system, and fire protection facility or any thereof of the district; (13) To pledge for payment of any bonds issued or obligations assumed by the district any revenues from which those bonds or obligations are made payable as provided in this chapter; (14) To execute and deliver, in accordance with the provisions of this section and of Sections 11-89-8 and 11-89-9, mortgages and deeds of trust and trust indentures or either; (15) To exercise the power of eminent domain in the manner provided in and subject to the provisions of Title 18; provided, that this subdivision shall not be deemed to authorize the district to acquire, without the consent of the owner or owners thereof, any water supply system or water distribution system from which water service is at the time being furnished, any sewer system from which sewer service is at the time being furnished, or any property that is at the time being used in the furnishing of fire protection service; provided further, that such right of eminent domain shall not apply to real property or interests therein previously dedicated to public use; and provided further, nothing herein shall authorize any district, county, municipality, public corporation, or other authorizing subdivision to acquire any portion of or withdraw water from any hydroelectric project licensed by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission or any predecessor or successor agency without the consent of the owner and licensee of said project and the approval of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission or any successor agency; (16) To appoint, employ, contract with, and provide for the compensation of such officers, employees, and agents, including, but without limitation to, engineers, attorneys, management consultants, and fiscal advisers as the business of the district may require, and, at its option, to provide a system of disability pay, retirement compensation, and pensions or any of them without regard to any provisions of Sections 41-16-50 through 41-16-63 that might otherwise be applicable; (17) To make and enforce reasonable rules and regulations governing the use of any water system, sewer system, or fire protection facility owned or controlled by the district; (18) To provide for such insurance as the board may deem advisable; (19) To invest any funds of the district that the board may determine are not presently needed in the operation of its properties in bonds of the United States of America, bonds of the state, bonds of any county or municipality and interest-bearing bank deposits or any thereof; (20) To cooperate with the United States of America, any agency or instrumentality thereof, the state, any county, municipality, or other political subdivision of the state and any public corporation and to make such contracts with them or any of them, as the board may deem advisable to accomplish the purpose for which the district was established; (21) To sell and convey any of its properties that may have become obsolete or worn out or that may no longer be needed or useful as a part of any water system, sewer system, or fire protection facility of the district; (22) To sell and convey, with or without valuable consideration, any of its water systems, sewer systems, or fire protection facilities or any portion of any of the said systems and facilities to any one or more counties, municipalities, or public corporations which have the corporate power to operate the system and facilities or portions thereof so conveyed and the property and income of which are not subject to taxation; provided, that any such sale and conveyance may be made only with the consent of each county and municipality in which any part of any service area of the district is then located, or, with respect to a supply district, the consent of each authorizing subdivision, any such consent to be evidenced by a resolution adopted by the governing body of each consenting county and municipality, or authorizing subdivision, as the case may be, and only if any such conveyance would not constitute a breach of any then outstanding mortgage and deed of trust, trust indenture or other agreement to which the district is a party; (23) To enter into a management agreement or agreements with any person for the management by the district of any water system, sewer system, or fire protection facility or any thereof upon such terms and conditions as may be mutually agreeable; (24) To fix and revise from time to time reasonable rates, fees, and other charges for water service, sewer service, fire protection service, or any thereof, furnished or to be furnished by any water system, sewer system, or fire protection facility, or portion of any thereof, owned or operated by the district, and to collect all charges made by it; and (25) To require the owner, tenant, or occupant of each lot or parcel of land who is obligated to pay rates, fees, or charges for the use of or for the services furnished by any water system, sewer system, or fire protection system owned or operated by the district under the provisions of this chapter to make a reasonable deposit with the district in advance to insure the payment of such rates, fees, or charges and to be subject to the application to the payment thereof if and when delinquent. (b) Nothing in this section shall be construed to permit a district other than a supply district to acquire, receive, take, hold, establish, develop, construct, reconstruct, enlarge, improve, maintain, equip, or operate any property or water system, sewer system, and fire protection facility or any part or combination of any thereof located outside the service area, except as an incident to the rendering of water service, sewer service, and fire protection service or any thereof inside the service area or to render water service, sewer service, and fire protection service or any thereof unless such district is authorized so to do in its certificate of incorporation and any amendments thereto. (c) Any schedule or schedules of rates and other charges adopted by the board may: (1) Provide for the rendition by the district to customers served by it of combined statements or bills for service furnished from its water systems, its sewer systems, and its fire protection facilities or any one or more of any thereof; (2) Permit the district to decline to accept payment of charges for service from any of its said systems and facilities, without payment of charges for service at the same premises from any one or more of its other systems and facilities; (3) Provide for a discontinuance of service from any or all of its said systems and facilities at any premises with respect to which there is a delinquency in the payment of charges for service from any system or facility of the district; (4) Provide for the payment of connection fees, disconnection fees, and reconnection fees; and (5) Require, as a prerequisite to the rendition of any service, the making of a deposit as a security for payment of bills, on which deposit the district shall not be obligated to pay or allow interest.