When used in this chapter, the following words and phrases shall have the following meanings, respectively, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise:
(1) APPLICANT. A natural person who files a written application with the governing body of any county or municipality or public corporation or cooperative in accordance with the provisions of Section 11-89-3.
(2) AUTHORIZING RESOLUTION. A resolution, adopted by a governing body in accordance with the provisions of Section 11-89-3, that authorizes the incorporation of a district.
(3) AUTHORIZING SUBDIVISION. Any county or municipality or public corporation or cooperative the governing body of which shall have adopted an authorizing resolution.
(4) BOARD. The board of directors of a district.
(5) BONDS. Bonds, notes and certificates representing an obligation to pay money.
(6) CONCISE LEGAL DESCRIPTION. A reasonably concise description of a particular geographic area which may be by metes and bounds or by reference to government surveys, recorded maps and plats, municipal, county or state boundary lines, well-defined landmarks and other monuments, or any combination of the foregoing.
(7) COOPERATIVE. Any corporation organized under Article 9 (commencing with Section 10-4-190) of Chapter 4 of Title 10, or any successor thereto, to render water service or sewer service.
(8) COUNTY. Any county in the state.
(9) DIRECTOR. A member of the board of directors of the district.
(10) DISTRICT. A public corporation organized pursuant to the provisions of this chapter.
(11) FIRE PROTECTION FACILITY. Land, plants, systems, facilities, buildings, fire engines, fire hydrants, ladders, equipment, hoses, alarm apparatus, chemicals, uniforms, supplies or any combination of any thereof used or useful or capable of future use in furnishing fire protection service and all other property deemed necessary or desirable by the district for use in furnishing fire protection service.
(12) FIRE PROTECTION SERVICE. All services involved in protecting property and life from fires, including, but not limited to, discovering, ascertaining, extinguishing, preventing the spread of or fighting fires or inspecting property for fire hazards or any part or combination thereof. The supplying of water for use in the rendition of fire protection service shall be deemed to constitute fire protection service.
(13) GOVERNING BODY. With respect to a county, its county commission, and, with respect to a municipality, its city or town council, board of commissioners or other like governing body and, with respect to a public corporation or a cooperative, its board of directors.
(14) INCORPORATORS. The persons forming a public corporation organized pursuant to the provisions of this chapter.
(15) MUNICIPALITY. An incorporated city or town of the state.
(16) NEW TERRITORY. Any territory added, by amendment to the certificate of incorporation of a district, to the area or areas in which that district is authorized to render water service, fire protection service, sewer service or any thereof.
(17) PERSON. Unless limited to a natural person by the context in which it is used, such term includes a public or private corporation, a municipality, a county, a cooperative, or an agency, department or instrumentality of the state or of a county or municipality or cooperative.
(18) PRINCIPAL OFFICE. The place at which the certificate of incorporation and amendments thereto, the bylaws and the minutes of proceedings of the board of a district are kept.
(19) PROPERTY. Real and personal property and interests therein.
(20) PUBLIC CORPORATION. Any public corporation organized under the laws of the state.
(21) PUBLIC FIRE PROTECTION FACILITY. A fire protection facility which is owned or operated by the United States of America, the state, a county, a municipality, a public corporation, any combination of any thereof or any agency or instrumentality of any one or more thereof or in which any one or more thereof or any agency or instrumentality of any one or more thereof holds a reversionary or remainder interest.
(22) PUBLIC SEWER SYSTEM. A sewer system which is owned or operated by the United States of America, the state, a county, a municipality, a public corporation, a cooperative, any combination of any thereof or any agency or instrumentality of any one or more thereof or in which any one or more thereof or any agency or instrumentality of any one or more thereof holds a reversionary or remainder interest.
(23) PUBLIC WATER SYSTEM. A water system which is owned or operated by the United States of America, the state, a county, a municipality, a public corporation, a cooperative, any combination of any thereof or any agency or instrumentality of any one or more thereof or in which any one or more thereof or any agency or instrumentality of any one or more thereof holds a reversionary or remainder interest.
(24) SERVICE AREA. The geographic area or areas in which a district is authorized by its certificate of incorporation or any amendment thereto to render water service, fire protection service, sewer service or any thereof, which area may include both territory located outside the boundaries of any municipality and territory located within the boundaries of one or more municipalities.
(25) SEWER SERVICE. All services involved in collecting, transporting, treating and disposing of sanitary sewage or solid wastes and the performing of all functions and activities reasonably incident to the operation of a sewer system.
(26) SEWER SYSTEM. A sanitary sewer system, including mains, laterals, sewage disposal plants and sewage treatment plants and all appurtenances to such a system and all properties, rights, easements and franchises deemed necessary or desirable by the district for use in rendering sewer services. “Sewer system” shall also mean and include land, sanitary landfills, systems, facilities, buildings, trucks, compactors, automobiles, motor vehicles, equipment, incinerators, compost plants, chemicals, uniforms, supplies, offices and office equipment, and any combination of any thereof, and such other real or personal property, rights, easements and franchises as may be deemed necessary or desirable by the district for the collection, transportation, treatment, storage or disposal of solid wastes.
(27) SOLID WASTES. All solid wastes and hazardous wastes as the same are defined in Article 1 of Chapter 27 of Title 22.
(28) STATE. The State of Alabama.
(29) SUPPLY DISTRICT. A district which renders sewer service or water service only to one or more counties, municipalities, or other public corporations, a cooperative, or to one or more customers of a county, municipality, public corporation, or a cooperative at its written request.
(30) WATER SERVICE. The providing, furnishing, supplying or distributing of water and the performing of all of the functions and activities reasonably incident to the operation of a water system.
(31) WATER SYSTEMS. 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, including, but not limited to, water supply systems, water distribution systems, reservoirs, wells, intakes, mains, laterals, aqueducts, pumping stations, standpipes, tanks, filtration plants, purification plants, meters, valves and all necessary appurtenances and equipment and all properties, rights, easements and franchises deemed necessary or desirable by the district for use in rendering water service.