Untitled Texas Attorney General Opinion

,Y ? A OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF‘TEXAS d AUSTIN O*ly”*m SILLLIrn Honorable OoerSo II.Cor Stata lbedth OiilCOr Toxar Stat8 Board or Health Auatln, Tour Dear Sir: ounty vfr water et #IIha** logal proaulgat* rulrll on8 la roaard to 0r 8~8mge 8nd unioatlon together with the lno1oa.Q h you uf -8 adopted by the Tr 6UQply Dirtfiat FTO.8 Of Ikrrlr County, To 8aid OOpy 18 a8 rOuOW81 A 6ANITARY DLSTWCT FiW38 WATER SWPLY DWl%ICT If=, TEXAS (Al80 kROm m8 Water Supply Di8triot #O); S~TAEY aamm C~.Sknmb SAID DIGTRICT; AND I'RCVfDZlW Said ordinam30 8eem8 to oonrine it88lr to tha purpooer 8IId subject mtt8r 8et Out fR 8a%d NptiOn. Howaver, In t!lf8 r88g8Ot. ~8 are not here p88f.,45u9OR any 8POeirfiUPrmi8iOn Or 8ame. Hon. Oeorge Pp. Cox, Pago g In a telephone aonversation with Mr. V'.M. Ehlerr Of JOUr d8parfRi8nt,8ubaequ8nt to pour 0ommunloatlon, we w8re informed that you rlah8d to withdraw your quertion in regard to tha Harris County Health Unit. This 18ar88 us th8 ta8k Of d8termlnlng your ramain- illgquery rhloh 18, in IUbltanbe, a8 fOiiOW8: Doen 8U0h Fro8h Water Supply Di8triot hat8 tha legal authority to promulgate rulw and regu- latlOn8 or this nature, that Is, the oontrol or 88werage and exorota? WI a88RE8, fOr the PUrpOSS8 Of thi8 OpillLtOXl, that suoh Dl8trlOt wa8 lagally created under th8 pro+l8ion8 0r Chapter 4 0r Title 128, &~vl8ed civil statute8 0r Toxar, 1925, as am8nd8d, (Art. 1881 ot 889.. V. A. C. S., and all amendments thornto). Chapter 4 of Tit18 128, Vornon*8 Annotated Civil Statutes, in regard to Fra8h Wat8r Supply Dl8trlOt8, protidas In S8otionr 1 and 5 ot Artiole 7990-4, V. A. C. S., a8 fo11ows: Y3eotlon 1. Fraeh Water Supply Di8trlot8 heretofor or hereafter oreat4a under the pro- vision8 of Chaptar 4 oi Title 128, bT188d aId1 Statute8 ot Tasa8, 1925, 88 amend8d, and looatod wholly within a oounty having a population in OX- 0888 0r five hundred thousand (sao,oao) inhabitant8 aooordlng to the lart praoeding or any futUr8 pa&oral o8n8U8. in 8dditiOn t0 tha POUlar8h8r8tO- rare gr8nted, ire hereby authorized to purQha80, oon8truot. aoaulre. own. operato. rapalr. improve and 8xt8nd eanltary 8aWOr ayetam ror the OolXeo- tion. transportation. prooe8fJing.di8Po8al and oontrol or all d tlo. lndu8trlal and OommUnal x8.* (Jhpha~*addOd) uSeotlon 5. Such Di8triOt8 shall further hare the vower to adopt and enroroo rear= ruler and regulation8 relating to th8 1 t 11 - tion, maintenance and operation of plumbing iLx- tures and facrf~lftbswithin WOh Di8triot8. in Bon. Gaorgo X. Cot, Fag0 3 ordsr to maintain 8are and 8*nltarr ooadttlon8 within 8UOh Ci8triOt8 and to prOt.Ot th 11V.8, health 8nd welfare of the inbabltants t&reof Th. BollrdaOf %~X’Vt8Or8 Or 8uOh cl triOt8 E& preroribe rearonable penaltlse ror 28 breaob of any rule or regulation 80 adopted, whloh p8Mltt.8 8hall not lxo..d t1R.8 Of more thsn Two Bundmd (3800.00) DOllor or impriromront in jail for IDOrethan thfrtt day8, or both 8wh fin08 Uhd i8Ipri8008IOBt, whiOh pW8iti.8 8haii be in 8ddition to otlnr penaltie provide6 by law 8od may be lnforoed ln any Court of proper &1x-18- diOtiOB in th. aOUBtf in WhiOh the Di8triO$'8 prlnolplrlorriae 18 looat8dg provided however, th8t no rtie or regtiation rhloh provider a pen- alty for the ViOl8tiOSlthereor 8hA11 b8 In 8rr.ot, 88 to the enforoomant of t& pomlty, until e brief, 8Ub8t.nti.l 8tStW8llt Of 8UOh X’lll. Or re@vlatloa8ntl t& puulty for tbr rlol.tlon thereof 18 publi8h.d 01100a wok for two oon- rooutive wwkr in a new8pap.r of genanl cir- OUlatiOn in the 8m In i&iQh 8uoh DintriOt 18 8ituat.d. Heron (7) dape arter the raoond pub- lloatlon, the prnaltp or teualtl88 provided rhll be dr.0tft0, and 8uoh rulra an4 regulation8 8h8ll be JUdiOially kOOmB t0 th0 COWt8. (gzlpba8188dd.d) Y&oh Di8triOt8 ahall bo authorized to emplo and oonrtltuto their own paaae OrfiOer8, who ahrl b. endowed with power to amke arrwt8 rot the aom- miulon or any Oii8n8cl agalrut th8 1x188 an6 nau- btiOB8 th8 Di8ttiJ.t Ol' amislet t!W k8wB Of th8 Of State 0r Ta88 when any 8uch offen8. or threatened offen ooour8 within the bOUOd&rier Ot 8ald Di8tFict8.” E8rr18 county ha8 a population or bB,Wl, aooordlng to the Federal Cswua or 1960. It 18 OUT UAd.r8t8ildi~ frolp OUT OOllDiWiO8tiO~ *Bth your Oepartmont t&t MI& Trl-City Frerh Water Supply Dletfiot No. e 18 looatsd wtlollywithin the county or lhrrlr. mererore, In view or the rpeoitio laneuam or tho Bon. George W. Cox, Page 4 I tatLIt 8’ pointed out herein, we 8nawer your qu88tloa In the afrlrmatlre. I %e haresrlthr88paOtfUlly return ywr 8nOlO8Ur8. Your8 rory truly ATMRNNY GYZJRRALOF ‘I'~%#& Robert L. Lattlmom, Jr A88i8t8At