(a) The authority shall have the following corporate powers, and all incidental or necessary powers thereto, either separately or in combination with any other system, service, or facility referred to in this section:

(1) To have succession by its corporate name for the duration of time 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 act, 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, or 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 and whether located within or outside the service area.

(6) To make, enter into, and execute contracts, agreements, leases, and other instruments and to take any other actions necessary or convenient to accomplish any purpose for which the authority 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, whether located in one or more counties and whether located within or outside the service area, 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 upon reasonable terms and for reasonable rates and consideration as the board may prescribe.

(9) To assume obligations secured by a lien on or payable out of or secured by a pledge of the revenues from any water system that may be acquired by the authority. Any obligation that is assumed shall be payable by the authority out of the revenues derived from the operation of any water system of the authority, or out of the revenues from tax sources or fees earmarked and payable to the authority by law.

(10) To pledge for payment of any bonds or obligations assumed by the authority any revenues from which those bonds or obligations are made payable as provided in this article.

(11) To execute and deliver mortgages, deeds of trust, or trust indentures, or any combinations thereof.

(12) To exercise the power of eminent domain in the manner provided in and subject to Title 18, as amended. This subdivision shall not be deemed to authorize the authority to acquire, without the consent of the owner or owners thereof, any water supply or distribution system from which water service is at the time being furnished.

(13) To appoint, employ, contract with, and provide for the compensation of officers, employees, and agents, including, but not limited to, engineers, attorneys, management consultants, and fiscal advisers, as the business of the authority requires without regard to Sections 41-16-50 to 41-16-53, inclusive, that might otherwise be applicable.

(14) To make and enforce reasonable rules and regulations governing the use of any water system owned or controlled by the authority.

(15) To provide for insurance the board deems advisable.

(16) To invest any funds of the authority that the board determines 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, interest-bearing bank deposits, or any combination thereof.

(17) 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 organized under the laws of the state; and to contract with one or more of them as the board deems advisable to accomplish the purposes for which the authority was established.

(18) To sell and convey any of its properties that have become obsolete, worn out, or that are no longer needed or useful as a part of any water system of the authority.

(19) To sell and convey, with or without valuable consideration, any of its water systems, or any portion thereof, to any one or more counties, municipalities, or public corporations organized under the laws of the state which have the corporate power to operate the system or portions thereof so conveyed. The property and income of any of those systems shall not be subject to taxation. The authority may sell or convey any property only if the conveyances would not constitute a breach of any then outstanding mortgage, deed of trust, trust indenture, or other agreement to which the authority is a party.

(20) To enter into a management agreement or agreements with any person for the management by the authority of any water system upon mutually agreeable terms and conditions.

(21) To fix and revise, from time to time, reasonable rates, fees, or other charges for water service furnished or to be furnished by any system, or portion thereof, owned and operated by the authority and to collect all charges made by it.

(22) To cooperate and work with existing water systems and county, city, and councils of local government on public water authority projects.

(23) To use funds available to assist in applying for any available state, federal, or private grants.

(b) The bylaws of the authority shall include, without limitation, the foregoing statements of powers, purposes, and authorities in the document. The bylaws and the certificate of incorporation may be amended at any time and from time to time.

(c) Nothing in this section shall be construed to permit an authority to acquire, receive, take, hold, establish, develop, construct, reconstruct, enlarge, improve, maintain, equip, or operate any property or water system located outside the service area, except as an incident to the rendering of water service inside the service area.

(d) Any schedule or schedules of rates and other charges adopted by the board may:

(1) Permit the authority to decline to accept payment of charges for service from any of its systems or facilities, without payment of charges for service at the same premises from any one or more of its other systems and facilities.

(2) Provide for a discontinuance of service from any or all of its systems or 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 authority.

(3) Provide for the payment of connection fees, disconnection fees, and reconnection fees by the customers.

(4) Require as a prerequisite to providing water service the making of a deposit as security for payment of bills. The authority shall not be obligated to pay or allow interest on any such deposit.