The Laws of Texas, 1919 [Volume 19] Page: 917 of 1,570

                                
112                   GENERAL LAWS.
Districts shall have full authority and right to acquire water rights
and privileges in any way that any individual or corporation may
acquire same, and to hold the same either by gift, purchase, device, appropriation
or otherwise.
SEC. 18. Fresh Water Supply Districts created under this Act are
entitled to the benefits of this provision, and subject to the limitations
of this act contained, shall have full power and authority to build,
construct, complete, carry out, maintain and in case of necessity add
to and re-build all works and improvements within and without
such districts necessary to accomplish any plan of conservation,
transportation and distribution of fresh water adopted for or on behalf
of such districts and may make all necessary and proper contracts,
and employ all persons and means necessary to that end, and
such districts are authorized, if the governing bodies thereof shall
deem it necessary, to take over in whole or in part by purchase or
otherwise, any water plants or systems within such districts; and in
the accomplishment of such purposes they may or may not issue
bonds, and may or may not incur indebtedness, provided that no
bonds by or on behalf of such district shall be issued nor shall any
indebtedness against the same be incurred unless the proposition to
issue such bonds or to incur such indebtedness, shall be first submitted
to the qualified property tax paying voters of such district, and
the proposition adopted by a majority vote of the property tax paying
voters of the district voting at an election held to determine such
question, and no enumeration of specific powers in this Act shall be
held a limitation upon the general powers hereby conferred except as
may be distinctly expressed.
SEC. 19. The right of eminent domain is hereby expressly conferred
on all Fresh Water Supply Districts established under the
provisions of this act for the purpose of enabling such district to acquire
the fee simple title, easement, or right-of-way over and through
any and all lands, water, or lands under water, private or public (except
lands and property used for parks, manufacturing industries
and established and developed water powers existing at the time of
the creation of such district, and cemetery purposes) within and without
such districts necessary for making, constructing and maintaing
all canals, conduits, acqueducts, pipe lines, pumping plants and other
improvements necessary for the conservation, transportation and distribution
of fresh water for the purpose herein named. In the event
of the condemnation or taking, damaging or destroying of any property
for such purposes, the Supply Districts shall pay to the owner
thereof adequate compensation for the property taken, damaged or
destroyed. All condemnation proceedings or suits in the exercise of
eminent domain under this Act shall be instituted under the direction
of the district supervisors, and in the name of the Fresh Water Supply
District, and all suits or other proceedings for such purposes and
for the assessing of damages, and all procedure with reference to condemnation,
the assessment of and estimating of damages, payment, appeal,
the entering upon the property pending the appeal, etc., shall
be in conformity with the statutes of this state, for the condemning