The department has the powers necessary or convenient to carry out and effectuate the purpose, objectives, and provisions of this part, and the powers delegated by other laws or executive orders, including, but not limited to, the power to:

  (a) Make, execute, and deliver contracts, conveyances, and other instruments necessary or convenient to the exercise of his or her powers.

  (b) Solicit and accept gifts, grants, loans, allocations, appropriations, and other aid, including capitalization grant awards, from any person or the federal, state, or a local government or any agency of the federal, state, or local government, to enter into agreements with any person or the federal, state, or a local government, or to participate in any other way in any federal, state, or local government program consistent with this part and the purposes of this part.

  (c) Negotiate and enter into agreements and amendments to agreements with the federal government to implement establishment and operation of the fund, including capitalization grant agreements and schedules of payments.

  (d) Engage personnel as is necessary and engage the services of private consultants, managers, counsel, auditors, engineers, and scientists for rendering professional management and technical assistance and advice.

  (e) Charge, impose, and collect fees and charges in connection with any transaction authorized under this part and provide for reasonable penalties for delinquent payment of fees or charges.

  (f) Review and approve all necessary documents in a municipality‘s application for assistance and issue an order authorizing assistance to the authority.

  (g) Promulgate rules necessary to carry out the purposes of this part and to exercise the powers expressly granted in this part.

  (h) Administer, manage, and do all other things necessary or convenient to achieve the objectives and purposes of the fund, the authority, this part, or other state and federal laws that relate to the purposes and responsibilities of the fund.

  (i) Make application requesting a capitalization grant and prepare, submit, and certify any required or appropriate information with that application.

  (j) Establish priority lists and fundable ranges for projects and the criteria and methods used to determine the distribution of the funds available to the fund among the various types of assistance to be offered and to select projects to be funded.

  (k) Prepare and submit an annual report required by the federal water pollution control act.