The governing authority of a parish, municipality, or waterworks district may, after the required petition or vote, establish and maintain waterworks systems and set assessments or water rates to cover the work’s total cost.
§3822. Construction, improvement, etc., of waterworks systems; petition The governing authority of any parish, municipality or waterworks district is hereby vested with full power and authority, after having been petitioned by sixty percent of the resident property owners of any such political subdivision, or by a vote of a majority in number and amount of the resident property taxpayers qualified to vote under the constitution and laws of this state who vote at an election held for that purpose in the manner provided by R.S. 39:501 through 39:518, in the discretion of the governing authority, to establish, acquire, construct, improve, extend and maintain within said political subdivision a waterworks system or systems, including such treatment facilities as may be required, with all necessary equipment and installations in connection therewith, including such extensions as may be proper to connect said system or systems with the main waterworks system of said political subdivision or any other available system or facilities whether within or without any such political subdivision; or, if the area which is to be served be an area within a parish, municipality or waterworks district already having water facilities or which may be able to acquire such facilities, within or without such political subdivision, then by the petition of the property owners in such area owning property comprising not less than sixty percent of the frontage of all lots or parcels of real estate to be improved or benefited by the laying of such water lines or the installation of such improvements, or by vote of the qualified resident property taxpayers within such area, and they shall have full power and authority to levy and collect local or special assessments on the property within such political subdivision or the area so served or to establish rates for the sale of water within such political subdivision or the area so served sufficient in amount to defray the total cost of said work, including the cost of street intersections and installations and connections necessary to connect said system with the main water system of the political subdivision or necessary to connect said system with any facilities, outside of such political subdivision, including the cost of acquiring any such outside facilities whether by purchase, lease or otherwise, or including the cost of the construction of complete waterworks facilities either within or without the political subdivision, all within the form and manner and subject to the limitations and restrictions herein contained. Acts 1962, No. 313, §1. Amended by Acts 1966, No. 18, §1, eff. June 2, 1966, at 2:32 P.M.; Acts 1969, No. 159, §1.