The town shall have the power to:
A. 
Construct, operate and maintain a water system and water plant.
B. 
Construct, operate and maintain a sanitary sewerage system and a sewage treatment plant.
C. 
Construct, operate and maintain a stormwater drainage system and stormwater sewers.
D. 
Construct, maintain, reconstruct, enlarge, alter, repair, improve or dispose of all parts, installations and structures of the above plants and systems.
E. 
Have surveys, plans, specifications and estimates made for any of the above plants and systems or parts thereof or the extension thereof.
F. 
Do all things it deems necessary for the efficient operation and maintenance of the above plants and systems.
Any public service corporation, company or individual, before beginning any construction of or placing of or changing the location of any main, conduit, pipe or other structure in the public ways of the town, shall submit plans to the town and obtain written approval upon such conditions and subject to such limitations as may be imposed by the town. If any unauthorized main, conduit, pipe or other structure interferes with the operation of the water, sewerage or stormwater systems, the town may order it removed.
All individuals, firms or corporations having mains, pipes, conduits or other structures in, on or over any public way in the town or in the county which impede the establishment, construction or operation of any town sewer or water main shall, upon reasonable notice, remove or adjust the obstructions at their own expense to the satisfaction of the town. If necessary to carry out the provisions of this section, the town may use its condemnation powers provided in Section 1202 of the Charter. Any violation of an ordinance passed under the provisions of this section may be made a misdemeanor.
The town may enter upon or do construction in, on or over any county public way for the purpose of installing or repairing any equipment or doing any other things necessary to establish, operate and maintain the water system, water plant, sanitary sewerage system, sewage treatment plant or stormwater sewers provided for in this Charter. Unless required by the county, the town need not obtain any permit or pay any charge for these operations, but it must notify the county of its intent to enter on the public way and must leave the public way in a condition not inferior to that existing before.
The town shall provide a connection with water and sanitary sewer mains for all property abutting on any public way in which a sanitary sewer or water main is laid. When any water main or sanitary sewer is declared ready for operation by the town, all abutting property owners, after reasonable notice, shall connect all fixtures with the water or sewer main. The town may require that, if it considers existing fixtures unsatisfactory, satisfactory ones be installed and may require that all cesspools, sinkdrains and privies be abandoned, filled, removed or left in such a way as not to injure public health. All wells found to be polluted or a menace to health may be ordered to be abandoned and closed. Any violation of an ordinance passed under the provisions of this section may be made a misdemeanor.
The town may make a charge, the amount to be determined by the Commissioners, for each connection made to the town's water or sewer mains. This charge shall be uniform throughout the town, but may be changed from year to year. Arrangements for the payment of this charge shall be made before the connection is made.
In order to prevent any leakage or waste of water or other improper use of the town's water system or sewage disposal system, the town may require such changes in plumbing, fixtures or connections as it deems necessary to prevent such waste or improper use.
The town may, by ordinance, provide that no water supply, sewerage or stormwater drainage system and no water mains, sewers, drains or connections therewith shall be constructed or operated by any person or persons, firm, corporation, institutions or community, whether upon private premises or otherwise, and may provide that cesspools or other private methods of sewage disposal shall be operated and maintained in such a manner that they do not and will not be likely to affect adversely the public comfort and health, and any cesspool or other private method of sewage disposal affecting or likely to affect adversely the public comfort and health may be deemed a nuisance and may be abated by the town. Any violation of an ordinance passed under the provisions of this section may be made a misdemeanor.
Any employee or agent of the town, while in the necessary pursuit of official town duties with regard to the water or sewage disposal systems operated by the town, shall have the right of entry, for access to water or sewer installations, at all reasonable hours and after reasonable advance notice to the owner, tenant or person in possession, upon any premises and into any building in the town or in the county served by the town's water or sewage disposal system. Any restraint or hindrance offered to the entry by any owner, tenant or person in possession or the agent of any of them may, by ordinance, be made a misdemeanor.
No person shall do anything which will discolor, pollute or tend to pollute any water used or to be used in the town water supply system. Any violation of the provisions of this section shall be a misdemeanor.
The town shall have the power to charge and collect such service rates, water rents, ready-to-serve charges or other charges as it deems necessary for water supplied and for the removal of sewage. These charges are to be billed and collected by the Town Manager, and if bills are unpaid within 30 days, the service may be discontinued. All charges shall be a lien on the property, collectible in the same manner as town taxes or by suit at law.
The provisions of this article shall not extend to any town located in a sanitary district or special tax area or district authorized to discharge the powers provided in this article as to the particular powers included in the authorization.
[1]
Note: In 1960, the Town of Princess Anne, at the state's request, relinquished its water and sewer activities to the Somerset County Sanitary District. The actual water and sewer powers have been retained by the town, however, in the event the Town of Princess Anne should once again undertake water and sewer activities.