“Board” means the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities.

“Department” means the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection.

“Division” means the Local Finance Board within the Division of Local Government Services in the Department of Community Affairs.

“Governing body” means the board of chosen freeholders in the case of the county; the board of chosen freeholders and the county executive, the county supervisor or the county manager, as appropriate, in the case of a county organized pursuant to the provisions of the “Optional County Charter Law,” P.L.1972, c.154 (C. 40:41A-1 et seq.); the commission, council, board or body, by whatever name it may be known, having charge of the finances of the municipality, in the case of a municipality; and the decision-making body of an authority or commission.

“Contract” means a long-term written agreement wherein a private firm agrees to provide water supply services for a public entity and wherein the private firm agrees to provide, during the term of the contract, capital expenditures on behalf of the public entity’s water supply facilities, which expenditures are set forth in the contract.

“Private firm” means any privately or publicly held company qualified to do business in the State of New Jersey that is financially, technically, and administratively capable of providing water supply services to a public entity under the terms of a contract entered into pursuant to P.L.1995, c.101 (C. 58:26-19 et al.).

“Proposal document” means the document prepared by or on behalf of a public entity describing the water supply services that the public entity is considering having provided by a private firm pursuant to a contract. The proposal document shall include specific minimum qualifications that a private firm shall meet, as well as the criteria that will be used by a public entity to evaluate a proposal submitted by a private firm.

“Public entity” means a county, a municipality, a municipal or county authority or any commission or other political subdivision of the State, or any two or more counties, municipalities, municipal or county utility authorities or any commission or other political subdivision of the State, acting jointly, that are authorized by law to operate or maintain a public water supply system or to construct, rehabilitate, operate, or maintain water supply facilities or otherwise provide water for human consumption.

“Water supply facility” means the plants, structures, or other real or personal property acquired, constructed or operated, or to be acquired, constructed or operated, by or on behalf of a public entity for the collection, impoundment, storage, improvement, treatment, filtration, conservation, protection, transmission or distribution of water.

“Water supply services” means the financing, designing, construction, improvement, operation, maintenance, administration, or any combination thereof, of a water supply facility which services are provided pursuant to P.L.1995, c.101 (C. 58:26-19 et al.).

L.1995,c.101,s.3.