(A) The board of directors of a conservancy district may make and enforce rules and regulations it considers necessary and advisable to do the following:

(1) To protect and preserve the works, improvements, and properties owned or controlled by the district, prescribe the manner of their use by public corporations and persons, and preserve order within and adjacent to the works, improvements, and properties;

(2) To prescribe the manner of building bridges, roads, or fences or other works in, into, along, or across any channel, reservoir, or other construction of the district;

(3) To prescribe the manner in which ditches, sewers, pipe lines, or other works shall be adjusted to or connected with the works of the district or any watercourse in the district and the manner in which the watercourses of the district may be used for sewer outlets or for disposal of waste;

(4) To prescribe the permissible uses of the water supply provided by the district and the manner of its distribution, and to prevent the pollution or unnecessary waste of the water supply;

(5) To prohibit or regulate the discharge into the sewers of the district of any liquid or solid wastes considered detrimental to the works and improvements of the district.

The rules and regulations shall not be inconsistent with the laws of the state or the rules or requirements of the director of environmental protection, and shall be published before taking effect.

(B) No person shall violate any rule or regulation adopted in accordance with this section.

(C) The board may enforce by mandamus or otherwise all necessary regulations made by it and authorized by this chapter, may remove any harmful or improper construction or obstruction or close any opening or connection made improperly or in violation of the rules and regulations, and may bring suits in mandamus in the court of appeals in the first instance, if it considers it advisable. Any person or public corporation that willfully fails to comply with the rules and regulations shall be liable for damage caused by the failure and for the cost of renewing any construction damaged or destroyed.

(D) No person or public corporation shall erect within the drainage area of the district any dam or reservoir upon any stream or watercourse in it, or any work or obstruction diminishing the cross section of any stream or watercourse in it, until a copy of the plans for the dam, reservoir, work, or obstruction has been filed with the secretary of the conservancy district for the board's examination.

Effective Date: 09-21-2000 .