§8-20-18. Alternative procedure for acquisition, construction, etc., of combined system.

(a) As an alternative to the procedure provided in this article, any municipality is hereby empowered and authorized to acquire, construct, establish, extend, equip, repair, maintain and operate a combined system or to construct, maintain and operate additions, betterments and improvements thereto, whether acquired, constructed, established, extended or equipped under the provisions of this article or not, and to collect the revenues therefrom for the services rendered thereby, through the supervision and control of a committee, by whatever name called, composed of all or of a portion of the governing body, or of a board or commission appointed by the governing body, as may be provided by the governing body, and if such alternative is followed, said committee, board or commission shall have and be limited to all the powers, authority and duties granted to and imposed upon a board as provided in article sixteen of this chapter.

However, no municipality may acquire, construct, establish, extend, repair or equip or thereafter repair, maintain and operate a combined waterworks, sewerage or stormwater system, which includes highways, road and drainage easements, and/or stormwater facilities constructed, owned and/or operated by the West Virginia Division of Highways without the express agreement of the commissioner of highways.

(b) In the event that the waterworks or sewerage system or both, or if applicable, stormwater services, are in existence prior to the creation of the combined system, and the waterworks or sewerage system or both, and if applicable, stormwater services, are supervised and controlled by a committee, board or commission, and the alternative provided for in subsection (a) of this section is to be followed with respect to the supervision and control of the combined system, the governing body may by ordinance, after the creation of the combined system, provide:

(1) The manner of and procedure for transferring supervision and control from each separate committee, board or commission to the committee, board or commission which is supervising and controlling the combined system; or

(2) The manner of and procedure for combining each separate committee, board or commission into one committee, board or commission and transferring thereto supervision and control as aforesaid.