§ 1196-d. General powers of an authority. Except as otherwise limited by this title, an authority shall have power:

1. To sue and be sued;

2. To have a seal and alter the same at pleasure;

3. To borrow money and issue negotiable or non-negotiable notes, bonds, or other obligations and to provide for the rights of the holders thereof;

4. To enter into contracts and to execute all instruments necessary or convenient or desirable for the purposes of the authority to carry out any powers expressly given it in this title.

5. To acquire, by purchase, gift, grant, transfer, contract or lease or by condemnation pursuant to the eminent domain procedure law, lease as lessee, hold, and use any real or personal property or any interest therein, as the authority may deem necessary, convenient or desirable to carry out the purpose of this title; provided, however, that an authority may not acquire, condemn or otherwise receive real property of a municipality without the consent of the governing body of such municipality;

6. To construct, improve or rehabilitate water supply or sewerage facilities required for the maintenance, development or expansion of water supply sources or sewerage facilities;

7. To construct, improve or rehabilitate distribution, transmission, and sewerage facilities;

8. To operate and manage and to contract for the operation and management of facilities constructed by the authority;

9. To enter into contracts, and carry out the terms thereof, for the wholesale provision of water produced by supply facilities constructed and operated by the authority, to municipalities and private water companies and to carry out the terms thereof, for the transmission of water from new or existing supply facilities;

10. To enter into contracts, with municipalities for the collection, treatment and disposal of sewage;

11. To apply to the appropriate agencies and officials of the federal, state and local governments for such licenses, permits or approvals of its plans or projects as it may deem necessary or advisable, and upon such terms and conditions as it may deem appropriate, to accept, in its discretion, such licenses, permits or approvals as may be tendered to it by such agencies and officials;

12. To appoint such officers and employees as are required for the performance of its duties, and to fix and determine their qualifications, duties and compensation, and to retain or employ counsel, auditors, engineers and private consultants on a contract basis or otherwise for rendering professional or technical services and advice;

13. To make plans and studies necessary, convenient or desirable for the effectuation of the purposes and powers of the authority and to prepare recommendations in regard thereto;

14. To enter upon such lands, waters, or premises as in the judgment of the authority shall be necessary for the purpose of making surveys, soundings, borings and examinations to accomplish any purpose authorized by this title, the authority being liable only for actual damage done;

15. To apply for and to accept any gifts or grants or loans of funds or property or financial or other aid in any form from the federal government or any agency or instrumentality thereof, or from the state or any agency or instrumentality thereof or from any other source, for any or all of the purposes specified in this title, and to comply, subject to the provisions of this title, with the terms and conditions thereof;

16. To supply and sell water for domestic, commercial and public purposes at retail to individual consumers within the district and to collect, treat and discharge sewage produced for such purposes by such generators;

17. To purchase water in bulk from any person, private corporation or municipality when necessary or convenient for the operation of such water system;

18. To produce, develop, distribute and sell water or water services within or without the territorial limits of the district; and to purchase water from any municipal corporation, town water district, person, association or corporation; provided, however, that water may be sold at retail to individual consumers only within the district and further provided that in exercising the powers granted by this title, the authority shall not sell water in any area which is served by a water system owned or operated by a municipality or special improvement district unless the governing body of such municipality or district shall adopt a resolution requesting the authority to sell water in such served areas;

19. To make bylaws for the management and regulation of its affairs and subject to agreements with bondholders, rules for the sale of water or collection of sewage and the collection of rents and charges therefor. A copy of such rules and bylaws, and all amendments thereto, duly certified by the secretary of the authority shall be filed in the office of the sponsoring municipality or municipalities and thereafter published once in two newspapers having a general circulation in the sponsoring municipality or municipalities. Violation of such rules shall be punishable by fine, not exceeding fifty dollars, or by imprisonment for not longer than thirty days, or both;

20. To fix rates and collect charges for the use of the facilities of, or services rendered by, or any commodities furnished by the authority such as to provide revenues sufficient at all times to pay, as the same shall become due, the principal and interest on the bonds, notes or other obligations of the authority together with the maintenance of proper reserves therefor, in addition to paying as the same shall become due, the expense of operating and maintaining the properties of the authority together with proper reserves for maintenance, contingencies and all other obligations and indebtedness of the authority;

21. To enter into cooperative agreements with other authorities, municipalities, counties, towns, villages, water districts, utility companies, individuals, firms or corporations, within or without the territorial limits of the district for the interconnection of facilities, the exchange or interchange of services and commodities, and within the territorial limits of the district to enter into a contract for the construction and operation and maintenance of a water supply and distribution or sewerage system by the authority for any municipality having power to construct and develop a water supply and distribution or sewerage system, upon such terms and conditions as shall be determined to be reasonable including, but not limited to the reimbursement of all costs of such construction, or for any other lawful purposes necessary or desirable to effect the purposes of this title;

22. To provide for the discontinuance or disconnection of the supply of water or the provision of sewerage service, or both, as the case may be, for non-payment of fees, rates, rents or other charges therefor imposed by the authority, provided such discontinuance or disconnection of any supply of water or the provision of sewerage service, or both, as the case may be, shall not be carried out except in the manner and upon the notice as is required of a waterworks corporation pursuant to subdivisions three-a, three-b and three-c of § 89 of the public service law; and

23. To do all things necessary, convenient or desirable to carry out its purposes and for the exercise of the powers granted in this title.