49-1203. Powers and duties of authority; definition

A. The authority is a corporate and politic body and shall have an official seal that shall be judicially noticed. The authority may sue and be sued, contract and acquire, hold, operate and dispose of property.

B. The authority, through its board, may:

1. Issue negotiable water quality bonds pursuant to section 49-1261 for the following purposes:

(a) To generate the state match required by the clean water act for the clean water revolving fund and to generate the match required by the safe drinking water act for the drinking water revolving fund.

(b) To provide financial assistance to political subdivisions, Indian tribes and eligible drinking water facilities for constructing, acquiring or improving wastewater treatment facilities, drinking water facilities, nonpoint source projects and other related water quality facilities and projects.

2. Issue water supply development bonds for the purpose of providing financial assistance to water providers for water supply development purposes pursuant to sections 49-1274 and 49-1275.

3. Provide financial assistance to political subdivisions and Indian tribes from monies in the clean water revolving fund to finance wastewater treatment projects.

4. Provide financial assistance to drinking water facilities from monies in the drinking water revolving fund to finance these facilities.

5. Provide financial assistance to water providers from monies in the water supply development revolving fund to finance water supply development.

6. Guarantee debt obligations of, and provide linked deposit guarantees through third party lenders to:

(a) Political subdivisions that are issued to finance wastewater treatment projects.

(b) Drinking water facilities that are issued to finance these facilities.

(c) Water providers that are issued to finance water supply development projects.

7. Provide linked deposit guarantees through third party lenders to political subdivisions, drinking water facilities and water providers.

8. Apply for, accept and administer grants and other financial assistance from the United States government and from other public and private sources.

9. Enter into capitalization grant agreements with the United States environmental protection agency.

10. Adopt rules pursuant to title 41, chapter 6 governing the application for and awarding of wastewater treatment facility, drinking water facility and nonpoint source project financial assistance under this chapter, the administration of the clean water revolving fund and the drinking water revolving fund and the issuance of water quality bonds.

11. Subject to title 41, chapter 4, article 4, hire a director and staff for the authority.

12. Contract for the services of outside advisors, attorneys, consultants and aides reasonably necessary or desirable to allow the authority to adequately perform its duties.

13. Contract and incur obligations as reasonably necessary or desirable within the general scope of authority activities and operations to allow the authority to adequately perform its duties.

14. Assess financial assistance origination fees and annual fees to cover the reasonable costs of administering the authority and the monies administered by the authority. Any fees collected pursuant to this paragraph constitute governmental revenue and may be used for any purpose consistent with the mission and objectives of the authority.

15. Perform any function of a fund manager under the CERCLA Brownfields cleanup revolving loan fund program as requested by the department. The board shall perform any action authorized under this article on behalf of the Brownfields cleanup revolving loan fund program established pursuant to chapter 2, article 1.1 of this title at the request of the department. In order to perform these functions, the board shall enter into a written agreement with the department.

16. Provide grants, staff assistance or technical assistance in the form of loan repayment agreements and other professional assistance to political subdivisions, any county with a population of less than five hundred thousand persons, Indian tribes and community water systems in connection with the development or financing of wastewater, drinking water, water reclamation or related water infrastructure. Assistance provided under a technical assistance loan repayment agreement shall be in a form and under terms determined by the authority and shall be repaid not more than three years after the date that the monies are advanced to the applicant. The provision of technical assistance by the authority does not create any liability for the authority or this state regarding the design, construction or operation of any infrastructure project.

17. Provide grants, staff assistance or technical assistance in the form of loan repayment agreements and other professional assistance to water providers in connection with the planning or design of water supply development projects. A single grant shall not exceed one hundred thousand dollars. Assistance provided under a technical assistance loan repayment agreement shall be repaid not more than three years after the date that the monies are advanced to the applicant. The provision of technical assistance by the authority does not create any liability for the authority or this state regarding the design, construction or operation of any water supply development project.

C. The authority may adopt rules pursuant to title 41, chapter 6 governing the application for and awarding of water supply development fund project financial assistance under this chapter and the administration of the water supply development revolving fund.

D. The board shall deposit, pursuant to sections 35-146 and 35-147, any monies received pursuant to subsection B, paragraph 8 of this section in the appropriate fund as prescribed by the grant or other financial assistance agreement.

E. Disbursements of monies by the water infrastructure finance authority pursuant to a financial assistance agreement are not subject to title 41, chapter 23.

F. For the purposes of the safe drinking water act and the clean water act, the department of environmental quality is the state agency with primary responsibility for administration of this state's public water system supervision program and water pollution control program and, in consultation with other appropriate state agencies as appropriate, is the lead agency in establishing assistance priorities as prescribed by section 49-1224, subsection B, paragraph 3, section 49-1243, subsection A, paragraph 6 and section 49-1244, subsection B, paragraph 3.

G. For the purposes of this section, " CERCLA" has the same meaning prescribed in section 49-201.