(a) An authority shall be incorporated for the purpose of conducting and developing the enterprise in which it may engage in such manner that the services afforded by such enterprise shall be available for public uses and to all inhabitants of the municipality and the surrounding area for domestic and industrial uses at the lowest cost consistent with sound economy and prudent management. Every authority incorporated under this chapter is hereby vested with all powers necessary and requisite for the accomplishment of such purpose for which such authority is incorporated capable of being delegated by the Legislature of the State of Alabama. The authority shall have the power to acquire, construct, reconstruct, extend, improve and maintain and operate any plant, works, system, facilities or properties together with all parts thereof and appurtenances thereto used or useful for the generation, production, transmission and distribution of electric energy, natural or artificial gas or mixtures thereof, for obtaining a water supply and the storage and distribution of water, for the collection, disposal and treatment of sewage, telephone system and service and generally for the conduct and development of the enterprise. No enumeration of particular powers granted by this section shall be construed to impair any general grant of power contained in this section or to limit any such grant to a power or powers of the same class or classes as those so enumerated. The authority is empowered to do all acts necessary, proper or convenient in the exercise of the powers granted under this chapter.

(b) In addition to all other powers, the authority shall have and may exercise the power to sell, transfer and convey to any public corporation having authority to carry on the business of a water distribution system, including those organized under Division 1, Article 6, Chapter 50, Subtitle 2 of Title 11, its entire water system, including all of its property and assets, real, personal and mixed, for such consideration and upon such terms and conditions as may be agreed upon by and between the authority and such purchaser; provided, that the consideration therefor shall include and require, among others, the assumption by such purchaser of the outstanding and unpaid bonded indebtedness, if any, of the authority and shall include an agreement by such purchaser to supply water to the authority's then existing water customers under the purchaser's rules and regulations applicable and which may thereafter be or become applicable to the purchaser's system as a whole.