1. The board of county commissioners of any county whose population is 700,000 or more has the power, outside of the limits of incorporated cities and towns:

(a) To construct, acquire by gift, purchase or the exercise of eminent domain, otherwise acquire, reconstruct, improve, extend, better and repair water and sewer facilities, such as:

(1) A water system, including but not limited to water mains, conduits, aqueducts, pipelines, ditches, canals, pumping stations, and all appurtenances and machinery necessary or useful and convenient for obtaining, transporting or transferring water.

(2) A water treatment plant, including but not limited to reservoirs, storage facilities, and all appurtenances necessary or useful and convenient thereto for the collection, storage and treatment, purification and disposal of water for domestic uses and purposes.

(3) A storm sewer or sanitary sewage collection system, including but not limited to intercepting sewers, outfall sewers, force mains, collecting sewers, storm sewers, combined sanitary and storm sewers, pumping stations, ejector stations, and all other appurtenances necessary, useful or convenient for the collection, transportation and disposal of sewage.

(4) A sewage treatment plant, including but not limited to structures, buildings, machinery, equipment, connections and all appurtenances necessary, useful or convenient for the treatment, purification or disposal of sewage.

(b) To acquire, by gift, purchase or the exercise of the right of eminent domain, lands or rights in land or water rights in connection therewith, including but not limited to easements, rights-of-way, contract rights, leases, franchises, approaches, dams and reservoirs.

(c) To operate and maintain those water facilities, sewer facilities, lands, rights in land and water rights.

(d) To sell, lease, donate for public use and otherwise dispose of those water facilities, sewer facilities, lands, rights in land and water rights.

(e) To prescribe and collect rates, fees, tolls or charges, including but not limited to the levy or assessments of such rates, fees, tolls or charges against governmental units, departments or agencies, including the State of Nevada and political subdivisions thereof, for the services, facilities and commodities furnished by those water facilities and sewer facilities, and to provide methods of collections, and penalties, including but not limited to denial of service, for nonpayment of the rates, fees, tolls or charges.

(f) To provide it is unlawful for any persons, associations and corporations owning, occupying or in any way controlling any building or other structure, any part of which is within 400 feet of any street, alley, court, passageway, other public highway, right-of-way, easement or other alley owned or occupied by the county in which a public sewer is then in existence and use, to construct, otherwise acquire, to cause or permit to be constructed or otherwise acquired, or to use or continue to use any private sewage disposal plant, privy vault, septic tank, cesspool or other private sewage system, upon such terms and conditions as the board of county commissioners may provide.

(g) To provide for the disconnection of plumbing facilities from any of those private sewage facilities and for the discontinuance and elimination of those private sewage facilities.

2. The powers conferred by this section are in addition and supplemental to, and not in substitution for, and the limitations imposed by this section do not affect the powers conferred by, any other law. No part of this section repeals or affects any other law or any part thereof, it being intended that this section provide a separate method of accomplishing its objectives, and not an exclusive one.

3. This section, being necessary to secure and preserve the public health, safety and convenience and welfare, must be liberally construed to effect its purpose.

4. Any person, association or corporation violating any of the provisions of any ordinance adopted pursuant to this section is guilty of a misdemeanor.

(Added to NRS by 1957, 658; A 1967, 734; 1969, 1534; 1979, 513; 1989, 1901; 2011, 1112)