§ 110-181. Exclusive right of public ownership.

The county shall have the exclusive right to furnish water and sewerage service to the inhabitants of the unincorporated areas of the county. No new water or sewerage utility shall be established or constructed, nor shall the service area of any existing water or sewerage utility be expanded, altered or enlarged, unless the board of county commissioners shall decline a formal request for service to provide water and sewerage service to a proposed service area of a new utility or to an expanded, altered or enlarged proposed service area of an existing utility. A formal request for service shall be made by the public utility to the board at a regularly scheduled public meeting. Such formal request shall accurately describe the proposed service area and the type of service requested. Failure by the board to act upon the formal request for a period of 60 days after the public hearing shall be deemed to be a denial of the request for the purposes of this article.

(Code 1979, § 23-55)