Powers

The district shall have the power to buy and sell; to own, maintain and operate property within and without the district; to acquire servitudes and rights-of-way within and without the district; to grant and fulfill assurances of local participation in connection with any federal project; to negotiate and execute contracts; to expropriate, if necessary, in the manner prescribed by Louisiana law the rights-of-way required to construct the project set forth in House Document No. 524, 89th Congress, 2d Session, Teche-Vermilion Basin, Louisiana and authorized by the Flood Control Act of 1966. The power of expropriation vested in the Board of Commissioners of the Teche-Vermilion Fresh Water District is hereby restricted to the acquisition of the rights-of-way specified in the aforementioned Act of Congress and document. Nothing in this Act shall be construed as impairing the right and authority of municipalities as defined by the constitution, including police juries of the several parishes involved, to create and maintain and operate waterworks districts and sub-waterworks districts as is presently provided for in Sections 3811 through 3821, both inclusive, of Title 33 of the Louisiana Revised Statutes of 1950 under the provisions of Article XIV, Section 14 of the Constitution of 1921, or as may be hereafter provided by the legislature under said Article or under any amendment to the Constitution of 1921 which may be hereafter adopted. The district is authorized to cooperate with the state of Louisiana and/or any agency or political subdivision thereof and/or the United States government and any of its agencies on any basis which the district shall deem advisable in the establishment, construction, operation and maintenance of the fresh water system herein provided for, including but not by way of limitation the joint or separate construction, ownership, operation or maintenance of pump facilities, pipe lines, floodgates, water conveyors and other devices, equipment and property and to accept gifts or contributions of any nature from the state of Louisiana or the United States or any agency or political subdivision thereof, or any private or corporate individual.