§16-13D-4. Furnishing of funds, personnel or services by certain public agencies, agreements for purchase, sale, distribution, transmission, transportation, collection, disposal, and treatment of water, wastewater, or stormwater; terms and conditions; bidding requirements; emergency repairs.

Any public agency acting individually to organize an authority or entering into an agreement pursuant to this article may appropriate funds and may sell, lease, give, or otherwise supply to the authority created the personnel or services for the operation of the authority as may be within its legal power to furnish.

Subject to the prior approval of the Public Service Commission pursuant to §24-2-12 of this code, any public agency, whether or not a party to an agreement pursuant to this article, and any publicly or privately owned water distribution company may enter into contracts with any regional authority created pursuant to this article for the purchase of water from the authority or the sale of water to the authority, the treatment of water by either party, and the distribution or transmission of water by either party and any such authority may enter into the contracts. The Public Service Commission shall, within 30 days of the filing date, notify the parties to the contract whether they have filed all required documentation regarding the contract. If the Commission determines that additional information is needed it will inform the agency of the information needed. The Public Service Commission shall act on a filing submitted hereunder within 90 days of the date that the Commission has before it all necessary information from the parties to the contract. Failure of the Commission to act on the filing within the 90-day period shall constitute approval thereof: Provided, That the 90-day Commission review period may be extended upon request of the parties to the contract.

Any public agency, whether or not a party to an agreement pursuant to this act, and any publicly or privately owned wastewater transportation or treatment system may enter into contracts with any regional authority created pursuant to this article for the transportation and treatment of wastewater by either party and any authority may enter into the contracts, subject to the prior approval of the Public Service Commission pursuant to §24-2-12 of this code. The Public Service Commission shall, within 30 days of the filing date, notify the parties to the agreement whether they have filed all required documentation regarding the contract. If the Commission determines that additional information is needed it will inform the agency of the information needed. The Public Service Commission shall act on a filing submitted hereunder within 90 days of the date that the Commission has before it all necessary information from the parties to the contract. Failure by the Commission to act within the 90-day period shall constitute approval thereof: Provided, That the 90-day Commission review period may be extended on upon request of the parties to the contract.

No contract or agreement authorized by the provisions of this article with any contractor or contractors for labor or materials, or both, exceeding in amount the sum of $50,000 may be made without advertising for bids, which bids shall be publicly opened and an award made to the lowest responsible bidder, with power and authority in the commission to reject any and all bids. Emergency repairs shall be exempt from the bidding requirements of this section. For the purpose of this section, the term emergency repairs means repairs that if not made immediately will seriously impair the use of building components, systems, and public infrastructure or cause danger to persons using the building components, systems, and public infrastructure.

Any public agency, whether or not a party to an agreement pursuant to this article, and any publicly or privately owned stormwater system may enter into contracts with any regional authority created pursuant to this article for the collection and disposition of stormwater by either party and any authority may enter into contracts.

Any contract may include an agreement for the purchase of water not actually received or the treatment of wastewater not actually treated, or the collection and disposition of stormwater not actually collected and disposed. No contract may be made for a period in excess of 40 years, but renewal options may be included therein. The obligations of any public agency under any contract shall be payable solely from the revenues produced from the public agency’s water, stormwater and wastewater system, and the Public Service Commission, in the case of a public agency whose rates are subject to its jurisdiction, shall permit the public agency to recover through its rates revenues sufficient to meet its obligations under the agreement.