§ 1230-b. Definitions. As used or referred to in this title, unless a different meaning clearly appears from the context:

1. "Authority" means the corporation created by section twelve hundred thirty-c of this title.

2. "Bonds" means the bonds, notes or other evidences of indebtedness issued by the authority pursuant to this title, and the provisions of this title relating to bonds and bondholders shall apply with equal force and effect to notes and noteholders, respectively, unless the context otherwise clearly requires.

3. "City" means the city of Niagara Falls, Niagara county.

4. "Civil service commission" means the civil service commission of the city of Niagara Falls.

5. "Comptroller" means the comptroller of the state of New York.

6. "Construction" or "constructed" means the acquisition, erection, building, alteration, improvement, increase, enlargement, extension, reconstruction, renovation or rehabilitation of the water facilities and their associated transmission and distribution systems; of the wastewater facilities and their associated interceptor and collection systems, including treatment facilities and pumping stations; and of the storm water facilities including catch basins, sewers, drainage pipes, treatment facilities and all appurtenances to such water, wastewater, and storm water facilities; the inspection and supervision thereof; and the environmental, engineering, architectural, legal, fiscal, and economic investigations, services and studies, surveys, designs, plans, working drawings, specifications, procedures and other actions preliminary or incidental thereto and claims arising therefrom.

7. "Cost" as applied to any project, includes the cost of construction, the cost of the acquisition of all property, including real property and other property, both real, personal and mixed, improved and unimproved, the cost of demolishing, removing or relocating any buildings or structures on lands so acquired, including the cost of acquiring any lands to which such buildings or structures may be moved or relocated, the cost of all system facilities, machinery, apparatus and equipment, financing charges, interest prior to, during and after construction to the extent not paid or provided for from revenues or other sources, the cost of any environmental, engineering and architectural investigations, surveys, plans and specifications, the cost of consultant and legal services, the cost of any guarantee or bond insurance or any other credit support devices and the cost of other expenses necessary, reasonably related or incidental to the construction of any such project and the financing of the construction thereof, including the amount authorized in the resolution of the authority providing for the issuance of bonds to be paid into any reserve or other special fund from the proceeds of such bonds, and the financing of the placing of any project in operation, including the reimbursement to the city, any municipality, state agency, the state, the United States government, or any other person for expenditures that would be costs of any project hereunder had they been made directly by the authority or the water board.

8. "Council" means the duly elected council of the city of Niagara Falls.

9. "County" means the county of Niagara, state of New York.

10. "County legislature" means the county legislature of the county of Niagara.

11. "Executive director" means the executive director or chief executive officer of the water board, or any other person duly appointed or delegated to perform such duties by the governing body of the water board.

12. "Facilities" means any of the properties of the authority or the water board or any other real property, personal or mixed property controlled, leased, or operated by the authority or the water board which is used or intended to be used in the system or in furtherance of their respective corporate purposes.

13. "Governing body" means the members of the authority or the water board, as the case may be, constituting and acting as the governing body of the authority or the water board, as the case may be.

14. "Mayor" means the mayor of the city of Niagara Falls.

15. "Municipality" means any county, city, town, village, water district, fire district, fire protection district, school district, sewer district, special or improvement district, commission, board or department of the governmental body indicated, any other such instrumentality, including any agency, or public corporation of the state, or any of the foregoing or any combination thereof.

16. "Person" means any natural person, firm, trustee, executor, personal representative, partnership, association, limited partnership, limited liability company, limited liability partnership, joint venture or corporation, or other legal entity whatsoever, exclusive of a public corporation as defined pursuant to Article 2-A of the general construction law. The masculine gender shall include the feminine, the singular shall include the plural where indicated by the context.

17. "Project" means any system-related facility or properties, including the acquisition, planning, development, financing or construction thereof.

18. "Properties" means any part of the system or facility of the water board, whether situated within or without the territorial limits of the city or the water board's service area, including the plants, works, structures, instrumentalities or part thereof and appurtenances thereto, real property, or any other property incidental or appurtenant to and included in such facility or facilities or part thereof, and any improvements, extensions and betterments.

19. "Real property" means lands, structures, franchises, rights and interests in land, air space, waters, land underwater, riparian rights and air rights and any and all things and rights included within said term and includes not only fee simple absolute, but also any and all lesser interests including, but not limited to, easements, rights-of-way, uses, leases, licenses and all other incorporeal hereditaments and every estate, interest or right, legal or equitable, including terms for years and liens thereon by way of judgments, mortgages or otherwise.

20. "Revenues" means all rates, fees, charges, payments and other income and receipts derived from the operation of the system and the facilities and properties of the water board including, without limiting the generality of the foregoing, investment proceeds and proceeds of insurance, condemnation, and sale or other disposition of assets, together with all federal, state or municipal aid.

21. "Service area" means the area comprising the entirety of the city on the date on which this title becomes effective. Upon mutual agreement with any municipality the service area may be expanded to include such municipality or any portion or part thereof.

22. "State" means the state of New York.

23. "State agency" means any state office, public benefit corporation, public authority, department, board, commission, bureau or division, or other agency or instrumentality of the state.

24. "Storm water facility" means any plants, structures and other property, real, personal or mixed, acquired, rehabilitated, constructed or planned for the purpose of collecting, conveying, accumulating, storing, transmitting, draining, discharging or treating storm water, including, but not limited to, odor control facilities, force mains, conduits, pipelines, interceptors, mains, pumping stations, flow meters, sampling stations, pumps, treatment plants and works, outfalls, contract rights, easements, franchises, approaches, connections, permits, meters, rights of flowage or diversion and other plants, structures, equipment, vehicles, conveyances, real or personal property or rights therein and appurtenances thereto necessary or useful and convenient for the collection, conveyance, accumulation, storage, drainage, discharge, transmission, or treatment of storm water.

25. "System" means the entirety of all water, wastewater, and storm water facilities or properties as described herein.

26. "User" means any person or effluent source that directly or indirectly contributes, causes or permits the contribution of waste into or through the wastewater or storm water facilities, or any person who receives or uses water from the water facilities described in this title.

27. "Waste" means any liquid, solid or gaseous substance, or combination thereof, that may be introduced into the wastewater or storm water facilities.

28. "Wastewater facility" means any plants, structures and other property, real, personal or mixed, acquired, rehabilitated, constructed or planned for the purpose of collecting, conveying, accumulating, storing, transmitting, or treating wastewater, including, but not limited to, odor control facilities, force mains, conduits, pipelines, interceptors, mains, pumping stations, flow meters, sampling stations, pumps, piping systems, treatment plants and works, outfalls, contract rights, easements, franchises, approaches, connections, permits, meters, rights of flowage or diversion and other plants, structures, equipment, vehicles, conveyances, real or personal property or rights therein and appurtenances thereto necessary or useful and convenient for the collection, conveyance, accumulation, storage, transport, treatment, disposal or reuse of wastewater.

29. "Water board" means the corporation created by special act of the state legislature as provided in section twelve hundred thirty-e of this title.

30. "Water facility" or "water facilities" means any plants, structures and other property, real, personal or mixed, acquired, rehabilitated, constructed or planned for the purpose of accumulating, storing, supplying, transmitting, treating or distributing water, including, but not limited to, surface or groundwater reservoirs, basins, dams, canals, aqueducts, aqueduct taps, standpipes, conduits, pipelines, interceptors, mains, pumping stations, pumps, water distribution systems, compensating reservoirs, intake stations, waterworks or sources of water supply, wells, purification or filtration plants or other treatment plants and works, contract rights, franchises, approaches, connections, permits, water meters, rights of flowage or diversion and other plants, structures, equipment, vehicles, conveyances, real or personal property or rights therein and appurtenances thereto necessary or useful and convenient for the accumulation, supply, transmission, storage, treatment or distribution of water.