1258                             Laws of Maryland                       [Ch. 743

amended, lands or rights in land or water rights in connection
therewith; provided, however, that no property or any interest or
estate therein owned by any county, city, town or other political
subdivision of the State shall be acquired by the exercise of the
power of eminent domain without the consent of the governing
body of such county, city, town or political subdivision [, nor any
existing privately owned and operated water or sewerage system
without the consent of the owners and operators thereof]. At any
time after ten days after the return and recordation of the verdict
or award in any condemnation proceedings, the Commission may
enter and take possession of the property so condemned, upon first
paying to the Clerk of the Court the amount of said [reward]
award and all costs taxed to that date, notwithstanding any appeal
or further proceedings upon the part of the defendant. At the time
of said payment, however, the [Commission] District shall give its
corporate undertaking to abide by and fulfill any judgment in such
appeal or further proceedings.

(1) To enter into contracts with the Federal Government, the
State of Maryland, or any agency or instrumentality thereof, or
with any municipality, private corporation, copartnership, associa-
tion or individual in connection with the services and facilities
rendered by any water system [or], sewerage system or surface
water drainage system owned or controlled by the District, the Fed-
eral Government or the State of Maryland, any agency or instru-
mentality thereof, and by any municipality, private corporation, co-
partnership, association or individual [or other District created
under the provisions of this sub-title]. Any such contract may pro-
vide, among other things, (i) for the connection of any water sys-
tem, sewerage system or surface water drainage system of the
District with any corresponding system owned or controlled as
aforesaid, (ii) for the supplying or receiving, to or by the District,
or any water, sewage or drainage to or from such connected system,
(iii) for the payment to or by the District of the cost of any such
water, sewage or drainage supplied or received, including the cost
of treatment thereof, (iv) for the consolidation under one of the
contracting parties of the administration of billing consumers, either
of the District or of the owner or operator of any such connected
system or systems, for water or sewer service supplied through any
such connection, and (v) for the equitable contribution by the Dis-
trict or by any such owner or operator to or on account of the cost
of constructing or improving any water system, sewerage system
or surface water drainage system of the other, made necessary by
the additional burden on any such system resulting from any such
connection.

(o) [The Commission may] To enter upon and excavate any
State, County or municipal street, road or alley, or any other public
highway, for the purpose of installing, maintaining and operating
the water [supply,] systems, sewerage systems and surface water
drainage systems provided for under this sub-title, and [it may] to
construct in any such street, road, alley or public highway, a water
main, sewer or drain or any appurtenance thereof, without the
receipt of a permit or the payment of a charge; provided, that
whenever any State, county or municipal highway is to be disturbed
the public authority having control thereof shall be duly notified;
AND IN THE CASE OF A STATE HIGHWAY, A PERMIT FOR
ANY SUCH EXCAVATION OR CONSTRUCTION SHALL FIRST