Any locality may contract with any sewerage or water purification company to introduce, build, maintain and operate a system of sewerage and water purification or of sewers, pipes and conduits suitable, necessary and proper for the purification of the water supply or for the sewerage of any such locality, including the authority to contract for, and contract to provide, meter reading, billing and collections, leak detection, meter replacement and any related customer service functions. The authority granted localities under this chapter to enter into contracts with private entities includes the authority to enter into public-private partnerships for the establishment and operation of water and sewage systems.

Any locality may also require the owners or occupiers of the real estate within the limits of any such locality, which may front or abut on the line of any such sewers, pipes or conduits, to make connections with and to use such sewers, pipes and conduits in accordance with ordinances and regulations the governing body deems necessary to secure the proper sewerage thereof and to improve and secure good sanitary conditions. The locality may also enforce the observance of all such ordinances and regulations by the imposition and collection of fines and penalties.

Any locality, contracting with any company for the objects and purposes aforesaid may provide in any such contract for the fees and charges to be paid by the owners or occupiers of the properties within the limits of any such locality, to any such company for connecting with, tapping or using any such sewer, pipes or conduits introduced in any such locality as aforesaid.

Any locality may make and enforce all such ordinances as may be necessary and proper to compel the payment of such fees and charges and may also do all other acts and things that may be necessary to establish, enforce and maintain under any such contract a complete system of water and sewerage purification and sewerage for any such locality.

Code 1950, §§ 15-717, 15-718, 15-719; 1962, c. 623, §§ 15.1-294, 15.1-297, 15.1-298; 1997, c. 587; 2001, c. 120; 2002, c. 446.