(a) The authority 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 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 part, 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 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 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, fire protection facilities, or any part or combination of any thereof, 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 such reasonable terms and for such 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 and fire protection facility or part of any thereof that may be acquired by the authority, any obligation so assumed to be payable by the authority out of the revenues derived from the operation of any water system and fire protection facility of the authority or out of the revenue from tax sources or fees earmarked and payable to such 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 part.

(11) To execute and deliver mortgages and deeds of trust and trust indentures or either.

(12) To exercise the power of eminent domain in the manner provided in and subject to Title 18. This subsection shall not be deemed to authorize the authority 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 or any property that is at the time being used in the furnishing of fire protection service. Nothing in this subsection or anywhere else in this part shall be deemed to authorize the authority to acquire, without the consent of the owner or owners thereof, any portion of any hydroelectric project licensed by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission or any predecessor or successor agency or to withdraw any water from such project.

(13) 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 advisors, as the business of the authority may require and at its option to provide a system of disability pay, retirement compensation, and pensions or any of them without regard to Sections 41–16–50 to 41–16–63, inclusive, that might otherwise be applicable.

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

(15) To provide for such insurance as the board may deem advisable.

(16) To invest any funds of the authority 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.

(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 make such contracts with them or any of them as the board may deem advisable to accomplish the purposes for which the authority was established.

(18) 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 or fire protection facility of the authority.

(19) To sell and convey, with or without valuable consideration, any of its water systems or fire protection facilities or any portion of any of the systems and facilities 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 and facilities or portions thereof so conveyed and the property and income of which are not subject to taxation; 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 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 or fire protection facility or any thereof upon such terms and conditions as may be mutually agreeable.

(21) To fix and revise from time to time reasonable rates, fees, and other charges for water service and fire protection service or any thereof furnished or to be furnished by any water system or fire protection facility or portion of any thereof owned or 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 this public water authority project.

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

(b) The bylaws of the Lamar County Water Coordinating and Fire Prevention Authority shall include, without limitation, the foregoing statements of powers, purposes, and authority in such document. However, the inclusion of engagement of the water authority in fire protection facilities or fire protection services, or both and to what degree, shall be at the discretion of the board of directors of the authority. The bylaws, as well as 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 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 and fire protection service or any thereof inside the service area.

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

(1) Provide for the rendition by the authority to customers served by it of combined statements or bills for service furnished from its water systems and fire protection facilities or any one or more of any thereof.

(2) Permit the authority to decline to accept payment of charges for service from any of its 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 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 authority.

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

(5) Require, as a prerequisite to the rendition of any service, the making of a deposit as security for payment of bills, on which deposit the authority shall not be obligated to pay or allow interest.

(e) The authority organized under this part for the purpose of constructing and operating a water system shall have all of the powers and authority set forth in this section, either separately or in combination with any other system, service, or facility referred to in this section.