N.Y. General Municipal Law § 120: Contracts for purification of water and sewerage

§ 120. Contracts for purification of water and sewerage. The local

authorities of the several counties, cities, towns and villages of the

state having charge of the supply of water and the care of sewerage in

their respective localities, are hereby authorized, on behalf of their

counties, cities, towns and villages, respectively, to enter into

contracts with the owners of any process or apparatus for the

purification of water and sewerage whether protected by patents or not,

and either contract for the use of apparatus and process for a term of

years or for the purchase of the same, as to them shall seem advisable.

It shall be lawful for any two or more of such municipalities in this

state, without regard to the form of their incorporation, including

towns or sewer districts of towns, to jointly construct, provide,

maintain and operate a comprehensive system of sewerage including trunk

lines and laterals, or a system of conveying or conducting sewerage from

said municipalities from a point or points to be agreed upon to a common

destination or disposal plant or plants, and to construct, maintain and

operate within or without the said municipalities or any of them one or

more outlet or trunk sewers, plants, works or stations for the

treatment, disposal, or rendering of sewerage, or any such municipality

or any such municipalities may jointly or severally contract for the

construction for it or them of any such system, extension or part

thereof, including any such sewers, plants, works or stations, and agree

to pay annually, semi-annually or quarterly for the use or possession

thereof, by way of permanent rental reserved therefor; or such lawful

authorities of the respective municipalities may jointly or severally

contract with any person, persons or corporation or with other

municipalities or sewage districts for the removal of sewage within the

boundaries of such local government, upon such reasonable terms as they

may agree upon. And to that end the governing bodies or boards of any

two or more municipalities, including sewer districts of a town,

authorized by law to have charge of sewer systems established or to be

established in said municipalities, or sewer districts of a town,

respectively, may unite and jointly cause to be made at their joint

expense (each district bearing a part of the expense in proportion to

the assessed valuation of real estate in such district, or on such other

basis or division as may be jointly agreed upon) by competent engineers,

mechanics and others, surveys, maps, plans, reports and estimates of

proposed works and improvements relating to such contemplated public

improvement or works authorized by this act, which such municipalities

may desire to jointly provide, maintain, operate or lease under the

authority conferred by this act, and for such purpose they may determine

upon the final route and plan for the building or construction of such

sewerage system and for the making of such surveys, maps, plans, reports

and estimates as provided in this section. It shall be lawful for the

officers and agents of such municipalities to enter at all times upon

any lands or waters for the purpose of exploring, surveying, and laying

out the route of such sewerage system.