For the purpose of defraying the cost of acquisition, construction, establishment or equipment of any system within a combined system, or a combined system, and for the purpose of paying the cost of constructing any extensions, additions, betterments or improvements to any of the systems of said combined system, or all of them, any such municipality may issue revenue bonds under the provisions of this article.

All such bonds may be authorized, issued and sold pursuant to ordinance in installments at different times or an entire issue or series may be sold at one time. Such bonds shall bear interest at a rate not to exceed twelve percent per annum, payable at such times, and shall mature within the period of usefulness of the project involved, to be determined by the governing body and in any event within a period of not more than forty years. The bonds may be in denomination or denominations, may be in such form, either coupon or registered, may carry registration and conversion privileges, may be executed in such manner, may be payable in such medium of payment, at such place or places, may be subject to terms of redemption, with or without a premium, may be declared to become due before the maturity date thereof, may provide for the replacement of mutilated, destroyed, stolen or lost bonds, may be authenticated in such manner and upon compliance with such conditions, and may contain other terms and covenants, as may be provided by ordinance of the governing body of the municipality. Notwithstanding the form or tenor thereof, and in the absence of an express recital on the face thereof that the bond is nonnegotiable, all bonds shall at all times be, and shall be treated as, negotiable instruments for all purposes.

The bonds and the interest thereon, together with all properties and facilities of the municipality owned or used in connection with the combined system, and all the moneys, revenues and other income of such municipality derived from the combined system shall be exempt from all taxation by this state or any county, municipality, political subdivision or agency thereof. Bonds may be sold in such manner as the governing body shall determine.

If any bonds shall be issued to bear interest at a rate of twelve percent per annum, the price at which they may be sold shall be such that the interest cost to the municipality of the proceeds of the bonds may not exceed thirteen percent per annum computed to maturity according to the standard table of bond values.

If the governing body of the municipality determines to sell any revenue bonds of such combined system for refunding purposes, the proceeds of the bonds shall be deposited at the place of payment of the bonds, obligations or securities being refunded thereby.

In case any officer whose signature appears on the bonds or coupons attached thereto shall cease to be such officer before the delivery of the bonds to the purchaser, such signature shall nevertheless be valid and sufficient for all purposes, with the same effect as if he or she had remained in office until the delivery of the bonds. All signatures on the bonds or coupons and the corporate seal may be mechanically reproduced if authorized in the ordinance authorizing the issuance of the bonds. The bonds shall have all the qualities of negotiable instruments under the laws of this state.

Whenever a waterworks and sewerage system or stormwater system, if applicable, is included in a combined system under the provisions of this article and there are unpaid and outstanding revenue bonds or any other obligations or securities previously issued which are payable solely from the revenues of the waterworks or the sewerage system or stormwater system, if applicable, or any part thereof, such outstanding bonds, obligations or securities may be refunded by the issuance and sale or exchange therefor of revenue bonds to be issued under the provisions of this article.

Whenever any outstanding bonds, obligations or securities previously issued which are payable solely from the revenues of any waterworks or sewerage system, or stormwater system, if applicable, included in a combined system under the provisions of this article are refunded and the refunding is to be accomplished by exchange, such outstanding bonds, obligations or securities shall be surrendered and exchanged for revenue bonds of such combined system of a total principal amount which shall not be more and may be less than the principal amount of the bonds, obligations or securities surrendered and exchanged plus the interest to accrue thereon to the date of surrender and exchange, and if the refunding is to be accomplished through the sale of revenue bonds of such combined system the total principal amount of such revenue bonds which may be sold for refunding purposes shall not exceed the principal amount of the bonds, obligations or securities being refunded plus the interest to accrue thereon to the retirement date or the next succeeding interest payment date, whichever date may be earlier.

Provision may be made that each bond to be exchanged for refunding bonds shall be kept intact and shall not be canceled or destroyed until the refunding bonds, and interest thereon, have been finally paid and discharged, but each bond shall be stamped with a legend to the effect that the same has been refunded pursuant to the provisions of this article.