19-3506.   Survey commission; appointment; qualifications;personnel; survey report to board; approval of plan by board;publication; recordation.Whenever a water district has been created and a board elected ashereinbefore provided, said board shall cause a survey to be made andfor such purpose, shall appoint a survey commission which shall consistof three (3) members, one of whom shall be a certified public accountantexperienced in the field of water utilities, and one of whom shall be anexperienced consulting hydraulic engineer and the third member of saidsurvey commission shall be the nominee, if any, of the water utilitycorporation or corporations operating within the area comprising suchdistrict under a certificate of convenience and necessity, issued by thecorporation commission.

      Upon being appointed the survey commission may employ with theapproval of the water district board such technical, professional andclerical personnel as may be necessary to assist it in the performanceof the duties prescribed by this section. The survey commission shallmake a complete survey of such water district; shall hold such hearings,make such investigations and examine such experts as deemed necessary,and shall prepare and complete a report as to the fair valuation of allfacilities including but not limited to the distribution lines, watertowers, meters and real and personal property owned by any suchprivately owned water utility company or corporation operating in saiddistrict and used in connection with the distribution of water in saiddistrict.

      Said survey commission shall make such investigation as is necessaryand shall prepare and complete a report of all public improvementsnecessary to secure and insure an adequate water supply and distributionsystem and the estimated costs thereof and to include in such report theestimated cost of additions, improvements and extensions anticipated tomeet and fulfill the needs and requirements of the district, considerthe possibility of increased requirements and increases in populationand the need of construction of a waterworks or plants at a source ofwater supply within or without the water district or by contract withthe adjacent or nearby cities or townships or both, within or withoutthe state, or by both the construction of waterworks and the making ofsuch contracts or otherwise. Said survey report shall contain aprojection of estimated rates and rate schedules necessary to pay thecost of acquisition and operation of any existing water system operatingwithin said area and the cost of additions, improvements and extensionsthereto, including a projection of rates necessary to build watertreatment plant at a source of supply and to amortize the revenue bondsand the interest thereon necessary to pay the cost of such facilities.The survey commission shall make a report of a factual nature and filethe same with the water district board and furnish a copy to existingwater utilities within the water district. Said board shall, if it deemsnecessary, expedient, or convenient, hold such hearings and make suchstudies and investigations as it deems advisable and shall not be boundin any way or manner by the report of the survey commission. Thegoverning body of any such district shall within six (6) months afterthe filing of said survey report by the commission, approve by amajority vote a plan or program which it deems the most practical andeconomical for an adequate water distribution system and supply of waterand shall cause to be published at least once in a newspaper of generalcirculation within the district such approved plan or program togetherwith such other information as the board shall deem necessary which ispertinent to the plan or program approved by such board and a copy ofsuch published information shall be filed with the county clerk of allthe counties in which a portion of the district is located and shall beopen to public inspection.

      History:   L. 1951, ch. 240, § 6; L. 1953, ch. 159, § 3; April 9.