55 ILCS 5/ Counties Code.

(55 ILCS 5/5-15014) (from Ch. 34, par. 5-15014)

Sec. 5-15014. Flood control. The county board may cooperate and enter into agreements with the proper agencies of the United States Government, municipal corporations of this State, political subdivisions and persons and associations, for the formulation of plans, and for the construction of any and all improvements for the control of destructive floods, and for the conservation, regulation, development and utilization of water, waterways and water resources, or other purposes of this Division. Such agreements may assign to the several cooperating agencies particular projects or portions of projects for the purposes herein stated and may provide for joint understandings for said purposes and for contribution to execute any works agreed upon with any other of the above mentioned agencies in the State of Illinois to carry out the provisions of this Division.

(Source: P.A. 86-962.)

(55 ILCS 5/5-15015) (from Ch. 34, par. 5-15015)

Sec. 5-15015. Pollution of streams. The county board shall have authority to prevent pollution of any stream or any other body of water within the county and to cause any and all parties, persons, firms and corporations to cease any and all pollution of any such streams or body of water within such county; provided that the authority of the Pollution Control Board of the State of Illinois shall not be superseded.

(Source: P.A. 86-962.)

(55 ILCS 5/5-15016) (from Ch. 34, par. 5-15016)

Sec. 5-15016. Groundwater protection. The county board of any county which is served by a community water supply well may perform a groundwater protection needs assessment, and may by ordinance adopt a minimum or maximum setback zone around a wellhead pursuant to Sections 14.2, 14.3, 14.4 and 17.1 of the Environmental Protection Act.

(Source: P.A. 86-962.)

(55 ILCS 5/5-15017) (from Ch. 34, par. 5-15017)

Sec. 5-15017. Revenue bonds. In order to pay the cost of the construction, acquisition by condemnation, purchase or otherwise of any waterworks properties, or sewage facilities, or a combination thereof, or waste management facilities, as the case may be, and the improvement or extension from time to time thereof, including engineering, inspection, legal and financial fees and costs, working capital, interest on such bonds during construction and for a reasonable period thereafter, establishment of reserves to secure such bonds and all other expenditures of such county incidental and necessary or convenient thereto, the county board may issue and sell revenue bonds payable solely from the income and revenue derived from the operation of the waterworks properties, or sewage facilities, or a combination thereof, or waste management facilities, as the case may be, and may also from time to time issue revenue bonds for the purpose of paying, refunding or redeeming revenue bonds before, after or at their maturity, including paying redemption premiums or interest accruing or to accrue on the bonds being paid or redeemed or for paying any other costs in connection with any such payment or redemption. All such bonds shall be authorized by ordinance to be adopted by the board, which shall be separate and distinct as applies to waterworks properties and as applied to sewage facilities except where the system is combined. Such bonds shall bear such date or dates, mature at such time or serially at such times not exceeding 40 years from their respective dates, may bear interest at such rate or rates not exceeding the maximum rate established in "An Act to authorize public corporations to issue bonds, other evidences of indebtedness and tax anticipation warrants subject to interest rate limitations set forth therein", approved May 26, 1970, as from time to time in effect, may be in such form, may carry such registration privileges, may be executed in such manner, may be payable at such place or places, may be subject to redemption in such manner, and upon such terms with or without premium as is stated on the face thereof, and may be executed in such manner by such officers, and may contain such terms and covenants, all as provided by the ordinance authorizing the issue.

Such bonds shall be sold in such manner as the board shall determine, and if issued to bear interest at the maximum rate specified in this Section shall be sold for not less than par and accrued interest; however, the selling price of any bonds bearing less than such maximum rate, shall be such that the interest cost of the money received from the sale of the bonds shall not exceed such maximum rate, computed to absolute maturity, according to standard tables of bond values.

Notwithstanding the form or tenor thereof, and in the absence of expressed recitals on the face thereof that the bonds are non-negotiable, all such bonds shall be negotiable instruments.

To secure payment of any and all such bonds such ordinance shall set forth the covenants and undertakings of the county in connection with the issuance thereof, and the issuance of additional bonds payable from the revenues or income to be derived from the operation of the waterworks properties or sewage facilities, or waste management facilities, as the case may be, as well as the use and operation thereof, and for the use and disposition for waterworks, and sewerage, and waste management purposes of investment earnings on funds and accounts created with respect to the revenue bonds.

In case any officer whose signature appears on the bond or coupons attached thereto shall cease to be such officer before the delivery of the bonds to the purchaser, such signature shall nevertheless be valid and sufficient for all purposes to the same effect as if he had remained in office until the delivery of the bonds.

Under no circumstances shall any bonds issued or any other obligation, except as set forth in Section 5-15003, incurred pursuant to the provisions of this Division be or become an indebtedness or an obligation of the county payable from taxes and shall not in any event constitute an indebtedness of such county within the meaning of the constitutional provisions or limitations, and such fact shall be plainly stated on the face of each bond.

(Source: P.A. 86-962.)

(55 ILCS 5/5-15018) (from Ch. 34, par. 5-15018)

Sec. 5-15018. Ordinances relative to issuance of revenue bonds. Any ordinance authorizing the issuance of revenue bonds as provided for in this Division shall describe in a general way the contemplated project, refer to general plans and specification prepared for any construction work, which shall be placed on file in the office of the county clerk available for inspection by the public.

Such ordinance shall also set out the total estimated cost of the project, fix the amount of bonds proposed to be issued, the maturity or maturities, the interest rate and all details in respect thereof, and the covenants and undertakings of the county in connection with the application of the income and revenue and the issuance of additional revenue bonds thereafter as may be deemed necessary or advisable for assurance of the payment of the bonds thereby authorized, and as may thereafter be issued.

(Source: P.A. 86-962.)

(55 ILCS 5/5-15019) (from Ch. 34, par. 5-15019)

Sec. 5-15019. Use of revenues. Whenever revenue bonds are issued under this Division the income and revenue derived from the operation of the waterworks properties or sewage facilities, or waste management facilities, as the case may be, shall be used only to pay the cost of operation and maintenance (including insurance) of the waterworks properties or sewage facilities, or waste management facilities, or a combination thereof, as the case may be, to pay principal of and interest on any revenue bonds issued hereunder, to provide an adequate depreciation fund, which fund is hereby defined to be for such replacements as may be necessary from time to time for the continued, effective and efficient operation of the waterworks properties, or sewage facilities, or a combination thereof, or waste management facilities, as the case may be, which such fund shall not be allowed to accumulate beyond a reasonable amount necessary for that purpose, the terms and provisions of which shall be incorporated in the ordinance authorizing the issuance of the bonds, and to maintain such other reserves and sinking funds as may be deemed necessary or desirable by the county for the payment of the bonds or the extension or improvement of the waterworks properties, or sewage facilities, or a combination thereof, or waste management facilities, as the case may be.

(Source: P.A. 86-962.)

(55 ILCS 5/5-15020) (from Ch. 34, par. 5-15020)

Sec. 5-15020. Rates and charges; rights of bondholders. Rates and charges for the use and service of the waterworks properties, or sewage facilities, or waste management facilities, as the case may be, acquired by any county shall be sufficient at all times to pay the cost of maintenance and operation, to pay the principal of and interest upon all revenue bonds issued under the provisions of this Division, to provide a reasonable depreciation fund as established pursuant to the provisions of the ordinance authorizing the issuance of any revenue bonds, and to maintain such other reserves and sinking funds as may be deemed necessary or desirable by the county for the payment of the bonds or the extension or improvement of the waterworks properties or, sewage facilities, or a combination thereof, or waste management facilities, as the case may be, and the holder of any bond or bonds or any of the interest coupon or coupons of any revenue bonds of any such county may in any civil action, mandamus, injunction or other proceeding enforce and compel the performance of all duties required by this Division and the covenants and undertakings set forth in any bond ordinance, including the making and collecting of sufficient rates and charges for the use or service of the waterworks properties, or sewage facilities, or a combination thereof, or waste management facilities, as the case may be, and the proper application of the income and revenue therefrom.

(Source: P.A. 86-962.)

(55 ILCS 5/5-15021) (from Ch. 34, par. 5-15021)

Sec. 5-15021. Rules and regulations; liens; discontinuance of service. Rules and regulations governing the maintenance and operation of the waterworks properties, or sewage facilities, or waste management facilities, as the case may be, shall be established from time to time by ordinance, and rates and charges for use and service for all purposes, including charges to connect to such properties or facilities, and which may include the imposition of interest and penalties for failure to make payments when due, except for charges or rates established by contract for a wholesale supply of water as herein authorized shall be established, revised, maintained, be due and payable, and be in force as the county board may determine by separate ordinances, and rates or charges established by the board shall not be subject to any statutory regulations covering rates and charges for similar service by privately owned waterworks, sewage facilities or waste management facilities.

Any ordinance establishing rules and regulations or rates or charges for the use and service shall be published within 30 days after its adoption in a newspaper published and of general circulation in the county, and if there be no such newspaper then such ordinance shall be posted in not less than 10 of the most public places in the county, and shall become effective 10 days after such publication or posting as the case may be.

Rates and charges for the use and service of the county's waterworks properties and sewage facilities (except for rates or charges for a wholesale supply of water or wholesale sewerage service as herein authorized) shall be liens upon the real estate to which water or sewerage service is supplied whenever the rates or charges become delinquent as provided by an ordinance of the county fixing a delinquency date. A lien is created under the preceding sentence only if the county sends to the owner or owners of record of the real estate, as referenced by the taxpayer's identification number, (i) a copy of each delinquency notice sent to the person who is delinquent in paying the charges or rates or other notice sufficient to inform the owner or owners of record, as referenced by the taxpayer's identification number, that the charges or rates have become delinquent and (ii) a notice that unpaid charges or rates may create a lien on the real estate under this Section. The county shall have no preference in any such lien over the rights of any purchaser, mortgagee, judgment creditor or any lien holder arising prior to the notice of filing of such lien in the office of the recorder of the county in which the real estate is located. This notice shall consist of a statement sworn to by an authorized officer or employee of the county setting out (1) a description of such real estate sufficient for the identification thereof, (2) the amount of money due for such water or sewerage service and (3) the date when such amount became delinquent. The county shall send a copy of the notice of the lien to the owner or owners of record of the real estate, as referenced by the taxpayer's identification number. The county shall have the power to foreclose this lien in the same manner and with the same effect as in the foreclosure of mortgages on real estate.

The payment of rates and charges for water services to any premises may be enforced by discontinuing the water service to such premises, and the payment of charges for sewerage service to any premises may be enforced by discontinuing either the water service or the sewerage service to such premises, or both. Any public or municipal corporation or political subdivision of the State furnishing water service to a premises shall discontinue such service upon receiving written notice from the county that a rate or charge for sewerage service has become delinquent, and shall not resume water service until receiving a like notice that such delinquency has been removed. The county shall reimburse any such public or municipal corporation or political subdivision of the State for the reasonable cost of any such discontinuance and resumption of water service. The county may contract with any privately owned public utility for the discontinuance of water service to a premises on account of which a rate or charge for sewerage service has become delinquent.

(Source: P.A. 86-962; 87-1197.)

(55 ILCS 5/5-15022) (from Ch. 34, par. 5-15022)

Sec. 5-15022. General obligation bonds. Any such county may issue general obligation bonds for the purposes of either planning for, acquiring, or operating and maintaining waterworks properties, or sewage facilities, or a combination thereof, or waste management facilities, as the case may be, in the manner prescribed in Section 5-1008, as heretofore or hereafter amended.

(Source: P.A. 86-962.)

(55 ILCS 5/5-15025)

Sec. 5-15025. Boil order; notification of certified local public health department required. If a county, or any department or agency of the county, issues a boil order, then the county must notify any certified local public health department that serves an area subject to the boil order as soon as is practical, but no later than 2 hours after issuing the order. In addition to the initial notice, the county must provide, to any affected certified local public health department, a written notification within 24 hours after issuing the boil order. The written notification must include the estimated duration of the order or warning and the geographic area covered by the order or warning.

(Source: P.A. 93-1020, eff. 8-24-04.)

(55 ILCS 5/Div. 5-16 heading) Division 5-16. Sanitary Districts

(55 ILCS 5/5-16001) (from Ch. 34, par. 5-16001)

Sec. 5-16001. Sewerage service contracts with counties. Any sanitary district organized and created under the laws of the State of Illinois having a population of less than 500,000 and lying wholly or partly within the boundaries of any county which accepts the provisions of Division 5-15, as heretofore or hereafter amended, may contract with such county for sewerage service to or for the benefit of the inhabitants of the sanitary district. Any such contract may provide for the periodic payment to the county of a share of the amounts necessary to pay or provide for the expenses of operation and maintenance of the sewerage system (including insurance) of the county, to pay the principal of and interest on any revenue bonds issued by the county hereunder, and to provide an adequate depreciation fund and to maintain other reserves and sinking funds for the payment of the bonds or the extension or improvement of the sewage facilities of the county.

Any such contract may be entered into without making a previous appropriation for the expense thereby incurred. Any such contract may be for a term not in excess of 20 years, if the contract is a general obligation of the sanitary district, or for a term not in excess of 40 years, if the obligation under the contract is payable solely from the revenues derived by the sanitary district from its sewerage system.

If the contract is payable solely from the revenues derived by the sanitary district from its sewerage system, the amounts due under the contract shall be deemed an expense of operating and maintaining the sewerage system of the sanitary district.

(Source: P.A. 86-962.)

(55 ILCS 5/Div. 5-17 heading) Division 5-17. Leasing Space in Court Houses

(55 ILCS 5/5-17001) (from Ch. 34, par. 5-17001)

Sec. 5-17001. Leasing space in court house. Whenever there is space in the county court house not needed for county purposes, the county board may lease such space to the state or any court thereof, to any city, village, town, sanitary district or other municipal corporation for such period of time and upon such terms as may seem just and equitable to the board.

(Source: P.A. 86-962.)