A. The Board is authorized, with the concurrence of the State Treasurer, to order the State Comptroller to make loans from the revolving fund to any county, city, town, water authority, utility or service authority or special taxing district, hereafter referred to as the borrower, having the legal capacity and organizational arrangements necessary for obtaining, giving security for, and raising revenues for repaying authorized loans, and for operating and maintaining facilities for which the loan is made. The money loaned shall be used by the borrower for facilities to store additional water in feasible flood prevention sites or to store water in sites not feasible for flood prevention programs. The amount of any loan or the sum of any outstanding loans to any one borrower shall not exceed $500,000 without the written approval of the Governor.

B. To promote the economic growth of the Commonwealth, the Board, after public hearing and with the written approval of the Governor, may invest funds from the revolving fund in facilities to store additional water in feasible flood prevention sites for municipal, industrial, and other beneficial uses where localities fail to do so, or in facilities to create the potential to store additional water in feasible flood prevention sites where impoundment projects are being developed to less than optimum potential, thereby allowing the enlargement of such impoundments as the need arises. Such action may be initiated by a request from the soil and water conservation district or districts encompassing such water storage sites.

C. The Board may draw on the revolving fund to meet maintenance expenses incident to the proper management and operation of facilities resulting from the investments authorized by subsection B above. In addition, the Board may draw on the revolving fund for emergency repairs to the above facilities and facilities constituting the security for loans made by authority of subsection A above. The Board shall not provide funds for emergency repairs to facilities constituting security for loans unless it appears to the Board that funds for repairs are not available from other sources.

D. The Board is authorized to purchase, operate and maintain necessary machinery and other equipment suitable for engineering and other operations incident to soil and water conservation and other purposes of the Board. The Board shall have the custody and control of the machinery and other equipment, and shall provide storage for it, and it shall be available to the districts upon terms the Board prescribes. In addition to other terms the Board may prescribe, it shall have authority to execute rental-purchase contracts with individual districts for the equipment, whereby the title to machinery and other equipment purchased under authority of this law may be transferred to such district when approved by the Board. The Board may, in its discretion, sell the same to any person upon terms and conditions it may deem proper. The proceeds derived from the sale or rental of machinery, provided for in this section and in § 10.1-552, shall be paid into the revolving fund.

E. The Board is authorized to make loans from the revolving fund to any soil and water conservation district for the purchase of necessary machinery and other equipment suitable for engineering and other operations incident to soil and water conservation and other purposes of the district. Terms for loans to districts under this section shall be prescribed by the Board, and payments of interest and principal shall be made to the State Treasurer and credited to the revolving fund.

1970, c. 591, § 21-11.3; 1972, c. 821; 1982, c. 68; 1988, c. 891.