In addition to all other powers now or hereafter granted by law, each public corporation organized under the laws of the State of Alabama which is authorized by law (i) to operate a water system consisting of land, plants, systems, facilities, buildings and other property, or any combination of any thereof, which are used or useful or capable of future use in providing, furnishing, supplying or distributing water and (ii) to borrow money for use for one or more of its corporate purposes shall have the following powers, together with all powers incidental thereto or necessary to the discharge thereof in corporate form:

(1) To sell and issue bonds of such public corporation in order to provide funds for any corporate function, use or purpose for which such public corporation is otherwise authorized by law to borrow money, any such bonds to be payable solely out of one or more of the following: (i) any or all proceeds of or receipts from any privilege, license, excise or other tax (whether such tax is levied by the State of Alabama or any county, municipality or public corporation thereof) received by such public corporation, including, without limitation, any tax proceeds or receipts which are required by law to be paid to or deposited to the credit of such public corporation and (ii) the revenues derived from any water, sewer or garbage system or other revenue-producing facility of such public corporation;

(2) To pledge for payment of any bonds issued by such public corporation any proceeds, receipts or revenues from which those bonds are made payable as provided in this chapter; and

(3) In evidence of any temporary borrowing of said public corporation, to issue from time to time revenue bonds or notes maturing not later than 36 months from the date of issuance. Any such temporary borrowing may be made in anticipation of the sale and issuance of long-term revenue bonds, and in such event, the principal proceeds from the sale of such long-term revenue bonds shall, to the extent necessary, be used for payment of the principal of and the interest on the temporary revenue bonds or notes issued in anticipation of the sale and issuance of such long-term revenue bonds. Any temporary bonds or notes issued pursuant to this paragraph may be refunded or renewed or extended for an additional period of not more than 36 months from the date of maturity of the temporary bonds or notes being refunded or renewed or extended, but otherwise pursuant to all of the terms and conditions of this paragraph, whether or not the project with respect to which the outstanding temporary bonds or notes were issued has been completed.

All bonds issued pursuant to the provisions of this chapter shall be signed by the chairman of the board of directors or other governing body or other chief executive officer of such public corporation and attested by its secretary and the seal of such public corporation shall be affixed thereto; provided, that a facsimile of the signatures of both of the officers whose signatures will appear on the bonds may be imprinted or otherwise reproduced thereon in lieu of being manually signed if the proceedings in which the bonds are authorized to be issued provide for the manual authentication of such bonds by a trustee, registrar or paying agent; provided further, that a facsimile of the seal of such public corporation may be imprinted or otherwise reproduced on any such bonds in lieu of being manually affixed thereto.

Any such bonds may be executed and delivered by such public corporation at any time and from time to time, shall be in such form and denominations and of such tenor and maturities, shall contain such provisions not inconsistent with the provisions of this chapter and shall bear such rate or rates of interest, or no interest, computed, compounded (if determined by its board of directors or other governing body to be advantageous), payable at such time or times, and evidenced in such manner, as may be provided by resolution of its board of directors or other governing body. All such bonds of such public corporation may be sold at either public or private sale in such manner and at such price or prices and at such time or times as may be determined by its board of directors or other governing body to be most advantageous. The principal of and interest on any such bonds issued or obligations assumed by such public corporation may thereafter at any time (whether before, at or after maturity of any such principal and whether at, after or not exceeding six months prior to the maturity of any such interest) and from time to time be refunded by the issuance of refunding bonds of such public corporation, which may be sold by such public corporation at public or private sale at such price or prices as may be determined by its board of directors or other governing body to be most advantageous or which may be exchanged for the bonds or other obligations to be refunded. Such public corporation may pay all expenses, premiums and commissions which its board of directors or other governing body may deem necessary and advantageous in connection with any financing done by it. All such bonds issued by such public corporation shall be construed to be negotiable instruments although payable solely from a specified source. Neither a public hearing nor consent of the State Department of Finance shall be prerequisite to the issuance of such bonds by such public corporation. All such bonds issued by such public corporation and the income therefrom shall be exempt from all taxation in the State of Alabama.

All obligations created or assumed and all such bonds issued or assumed by such public corporation shall be solely and exclusively an obligation of such public corporation and shall not create an obligation or debt of any county or municipality; provided, that the provisions of this sentence shall not be construed to release the original obligor from liability on any bond or other obligation assumed by such public corporation.

Any such bonds issued by such public corporation shall be limited or special obligations of such public corporation payable solely out of the proceeds, receipts or revenues specified in the proceedings authorizing those bonds. Any such proceedings may provide that the bonds therein authorized shall be payable solely out of one or more of the following: (i) any or all proceeds of or receipts from any privilege, license, excise or other tax (whether such tax is levied by the State of Alabama or any county, municipality or public corporation thereof) received by such public corporation, including, without limitation, any tax proceeds or receipts which are required by law to be paid to or deposited to the credit of such public corporation and (ii) the revenues derived from the leasing, sale or operation of all water, sewer and garbage systems and other revenue-producing facilities owned by such public corporation or solely out of the revenues from the leasing, sale or operation of any one or more of such systems or facilities or parts thereof, regardless of the fact that those bonds may have been issued with respect to or for the benefit of only certain particular systems or facilities of such public corporation.

Such public corporation may pledge for the payment of any of its bonds the revenues from which such bonds are payable and may execute and deliver a trust indenture evidencing any such pledge or a mortgage and deed of trust conveying as security for such bonds the water, sewer or garbage systems or other revenue-producing facilities or any part of any thereof, the revenues or any part of the revenues from which are so pledged. Any mortgage and deed of trust or trust indenture made by such public corporation may contain such agreements as its board of directors or other governing body may deem advisable respecting the operation and maintenance of the property and the use of the revenues subject to such mortgage and deed of trust or affected by such trust indenture and respecting the rights, duties and remedies of the parties to any such instrument and the parties for the benefit of whom such instrument is made; provided, that no such instrument shall be subject to foreclosure.

As security for payment of the principal of and interest on bonds issued or obligations assumed by it, such public corporation may enter into a contract or contracts binding itself for the proper application of the proceeds of bonds and other funds, for the continued operation and maintenance of any water, sewer or garbage system or other revenue-producing facility owned by it or any part or parts thereof, for the imposition and collection of reasonable rates for and the promulgation of reasonable regulations respecting any service furnished from any such system or facility, for the disposition and application of its gross revenues or any part thereof and for any other act or series of acts not inconsistent with the provisions of this chapter for the protection of the bonds and other obligations being secured and the assurance that the revenues from such system or facility will be sufficient to operate such system or facility, maintain the same in good repair and in good operating condition, pay the principal of and interest on any bonds payable from such revenues and maintain such reserves as may be deemed appropriate for the protection of the bonds, the efficient operation of such system or facility and the making of replacements thereof and capital improvements thereto.

Any contract pursuant to the provisions of this section may be set forth in any resolution of its board of directors or other governing body authorizing the issuance of bonds or the assumption of obligations or in any mortgage and deed of trust or trust indenture made by such public corporation under this chapter.

Any resolution of the board of directors or other governing body of such public corporation or trust indenture under which bonds may be issued pursuant to the provisions of this chapter may contain provisions creating a statutory mortgage lien, in favor of the holders of such bonds, on the water, sewer and garbage systems or other revenue-producing and facilities or any thereof (including any after-acquired property) out of the revenues from which such bonds are made payable. The said resolution of the board of directors or other governing body of such public corporation or the said trust indenture may provide for the filing for record in the office of the judge of probate of each county in which any part of such water, sewer and garbage systems or other revenue-producing facilities or any thereof may be located of a notice containing a brief description of such systems and facilities or any thereof, a brief description of such bonds and a declaration that said statutory mortgage lien has been created for the benefit of the holders of such bonds upon such systems and facilities or any thereof, including any additions thereto and extensions thereof. Each judge of probate shall receive, record and index any such notice filed for record in his office and no mortgage or deed tax shall be payable with respect to any such filing for record. The recording of such notice, as provided in this section, shall operate as constructive notice of the contents thereof.

All moneys derived from the sale of any such bonds issued by such public corporation shall be used solely for the purpose or purposes for which the same are authorized, including the funding of all or part of any reserve funds which may be required for debt service, replacement and extension or capital improvements, and any costs and expenses incidental thereto. Such costs and expenses may include but shall not be limited to:

(1) The fiscal, engineering, legal and other expenses incurred in connection with the issuance of and security for the bonds, including, without limitation, the charges, premiums or fees in connection with any debt service insurance or letter of credit or other additional security given with respect to its bonds, whether such amounts are to be paid in a lump sum or over a period of time;

(2) Interest on bonds in the case of bonds issued to pay costs of construction or, if a part only of any series of bonds is issued for construction purposes, interest on that portion of the bonds of that series that is issued to pay construction costs prior to and during such construction and for not exceeding one year after completion of such construction; and

(3) Any premium that it may be necessary to pay in order to redeem or retire the bonds or other obligations to be refunded in the case of the bonds issued for the purpose of refunding principal and interest, or either, with respect to bonds issued or obligations assumed by such public corporation.

The proceeds of any such bonds issued by such public corporation and moneys held in any special fund established by such public corporation in connection with the issuance of any of its bonds may be invested in any direct obligations of the United States of America, the obligations of any agency of the United States of America, interest bearing bank deposits, or in any securities the payment of the principal of and interest on which is fully secured by direct obligations of the United States of America or in any obligations in which municipal or county funds are authorized to be invested pursuant to Section 11-81-21.

This law shall not repeal or supersede any existing law which authorizes the issuance and sale of bonds by a public corporation but no such existing law shall be construed to prohibit the issuance and sale of bonds as permitted by this chapter. This chapter shall be construed liberally to effect its purposes and neither this chapter nor anything herein contained is or shall be construed as a restriction or limitation upon any powers which any public corporation might otherwise have under any laws of the State of Alabama, and the provisions of this chapter shall be cumulative to any such powers.