§ 252. Powers of county agency. 1. The agency, as empowered by the
board of supervisors, may assemble data relating to (1) the water
resources available to the county, both within and without, (2) the
number and location of private wells within the county, the contaminants
present in the water supply in the county's private wells, (for the
purposes of this section, "contaminants" shall mean those substances
found in amounts or concentrations which violate federal, state or local
laws, guidelines or rules and regulations relating to drinking water or
which may pose a risk to public health), the extent of contamination of
the water supply in the county's private wells, and the availability of
appropriate treatment technologies for the contaminants found to be
present, or which are reasonably expected to be found, currently or in
the future, in the water supply in the county's private wells, (3) the
sewage collection, conveyance, treatment and disposal problems of the
county, (4) the problems of collection, conveyance and disposal of storm
water and other waters, (5) the problems of the collection and
disposition of garbage, ashes, rubbish and other waste matter within the
county, or (6) any measures reasonably related to lake protection and
rehabilitation, including surveys of sources of degradation, treatment
of aquatic nuisances, and the elimination or alleviation of such
problems and the possibility of developing and utilizing existing
facilities to make them available to the several municipalities and
other political subdivisions within the county, and may employ such
engineering, legal, professional and other assistance as from time to
time may be needed, and may incur such other expenses as may be
necessary within the amounts made available therefor by budget
appropriations. When authorized by the board of supervisors, the agency
may also apply for and expend state aid for comprehensive studies and
reports pursuant to section 17-1901 of the environmental conservation
law and comprehensive water studies and reports pursuant to title
thirteen of article fifteen of the environmental conservation law. Where
the agency has sufficient engineering and technical staff available, the
board of supervisors may authorize the agency to render engineering and
related technical services to municipalities located within the county
pursuant to contract on terms and conditions to be agreed upon by the
agency and the municipality.

2. In the county of Suffolk, the county sewer agency may undertake
such other duties, powers and responsibilities as may from time to time
be approved by or delegated to it by the board of supervisors and when
authorized by the board of supervisors, the county sewer agency, subject
to the prior consent of the "local governing body" within whose
jurisdiction there exists a "sewer system" constructed, operated and
maintained by a sewerage disposal corporation organized pursuant to the
transportation corporations law, may acquire by purchase, gift,
dedication, condemnation or otherwise such "sewer system" from, or all
of the stock of, such "sewerage disposal corporation", and when
authorized by the county board of supervisors may expend county funds
for the acquisition of such "sewer system", and thereafter may operate,
manage and maintain said "sewer system". The terms "local governing
body", "sewer system" and "sewerage disposal corporation" being defined
in article ten of the transportation corporations law. The board of
supervisors may finance in whole or in part, pursuant to the local
finance law, any expenditures made pursuant to this section. Subject to
confirmation by the board of supervisors, the county sewer agency may
impose sewer rents as provided by the general municipal law, provided
that before any such sewer rents are finally established, the county
sewer agency shall hold at least one public hearing thereon. Appeals
may be taken from any rate fixing determination of the county sewer
agency to the board of supervisors. The board of supervisors shall
prescribe the manner of holding such hearings and of taking appeals. The
provisions of section two hundred sixty-six of this chapter shall apply
to the imposition, collection and application of sewer rents by the
county sewer agency hereunder.