Section 252. Powers of county agency

1. The agency, as empowered by the
  board of supervisors, may  assemble  data  relating  to  (1)  the  water
  resources  available  to  the  county,  both within and without, (2) the
  number and location of private wells within the county, the contaminants
  present in the water supply in the  county's  private  wells,  (for  the
  purposes  of  this  section,  "contaminants" shall mean those substances
  found in amounts or concentrations which violate federal, state or local
  laws, guidelines or rules and regulations relating to drinking water  or
  which  may pose a risk to public health), the extent of contamination of
  the water supply in the county's private wells, and the availability  of
  appropriate  treatment  technologies  for  the  contaminants found to be
  present, or which are reasonably expected to be found, currently  or  in
  the  future,  in the water supply in the county's private wells, (3) the
  sewage collection, conveyance, treatment and disposal  problems  of  the
  county, (4) the problems of collection, conveyance and disposal of storm
  water  and  other  waters,  (5)  the  problems  of  the  collection  and
  disposition of garbage, ashes, rubbish and other waste matter within the
  county, or (6) any measures reasonably related to  lake  protection  and
  rehabilitation,  including  surveys of sources of degradation, treatment
  of aquatic  nuisances,  and  the  elimination  or  alleviation  of  such
  problems  and  the  possibility  of  developing  and  utilizing existing
  facilities to make them available  to  the  several  municipalities  and
  other  political  subdivisions  within  the  county, and may employ such
  engineering, legal, professional and other assistance as  from  time  to
  time  may  be  needed,  and  may  incur  such  other  expenses as may be
  necessary  within  the  amounts  made  available  therefor   by   budget
  appropriations.  When authorized by the board of supervisors, the agency
  may also apply for and expend state aid for  comprehensive  studies  and
  reports  pursuant  to  section 17-1901 of the environmental conservation
  law and comprehensive  water  studies  and  reports  pursuant  to  title
  thirteen of article fifteen of the environmental conservation law. Where
  the agency has sufficient engineering and technical staff available, the
  board  of supervisors may authorize the agency to render engineering and
  related technical services to municipalities located within  the  county
  pursuant  to  contract  on terms and conditions to be agreed upon by the
  agency and the municipality.
    2. In the county of Suffolk, the county  sewer  agency  may  undertake
  such  other duties, powers and responsibilities as may from time to time
  be approved by or delegated to it by the board of supervisors  and  when
  authorized by the board of supervisors, the county sewer agency, subject
  to  the  prior  consent  of  the  "local  governing  body"  within whose
  jurisdiction there exists a "sewer  system"  constructed,  operated  and
  maintained  by a sewerage disposal corporation organized pursuant to the
  transportation  corporations  law,  may  acquire  by   purchase,   gift,
  dedication,  condemnation  or otherwise such "sewer system" from, or all
  of  the  stock  of,  such  "sewerage  disposal  corporation",  and  when
  authorized  by  the  county board of supervisors may expend county funds
  for the acquisition of such "sewer system", and thereafter may  operate,
  manage  and  maintain  said  "sewer  system". The terms "local governing
  body", "sewer system" and "sewerage disposal corporation" being  defined
  in  article  ten  of  the  transportation corporations law. The board of
  supervisors may finance in whole or  in  part,  pursuant  to  the  local
  finance  law, any expenditures made pursuant to this section. Subject to
  confirmation by the board of supervisors, the county  sewer  agency  may
  impose  sewer  rents  as provided by the general municipal law, provided
  that before any such sewer rents are  finally  established,  the  county
  sewer  agency  shall  hold at least one public hearing thereon.  Appeals
  may be taken from any rate fixing  determination  of  the  county  sewer

  agency  to  the  board  of  supervisors.  The board of supervisors shall
  prescribe the manner of holding such hearings and of taking appeals. The
  provisions of section two hundred sixty-six of this chapter shall  apply
  to  the  imposition,  collection  and  application of sewer rents by the
  county sewer agency hereunder.