(1) As an additional or alternative method of financing a water supply system or sewage disposal system, hereinafter generally referred to in this section and section 12c as the “project”, any authority proposing a project to cost a sum of $50,000,000.00 or more for such purposes, is authorized to proceed under the provisions of this section and section 12c. In such event the authority is hereby authorized by resolution or resolutions of its governing body to provide for the issuance of revenue bonds for the purpose of paying all or any portion of the cost of the project, or for the purpose of refunding the bonds, including refunding bonds, or for any combination of such purposes. The term “cost of the project” includes all expenditures made in connection with the acquisition and construction thereof, financing charges, interest to accrue on the bonds during the period of construction of the project and for a period of not to exceed 1 year thereafter, cost of engineering and legal expenses, plans, specifications and surveys, other expenses necessary or incident to determining the feasibility or practicability of constructing the project, administrative expense, and such other expense as may be necessary or incident to the construction of the project, the financing of the project and the placing of the project in operation, including the repayment of any moneys advanced by constituent municipalities of the authority for any of the above purposes. The authority may enter into such contracts for financial, fiscal agents, legal or engineering services in connection with the financing and construction of the project as it deems necessary and advisable. The authority shall not contract for the payment of stand-by bids or finders’ fees.

    (2) Principal of and interest and redemption premiums on the bonds issued under this section shall be payable solely from the revenues of the project, except that payments may also be made from the proceeds of refunding bonds issued under this section. The term “revenues of the project” as used in this section and section 12c means revenues derived from contracts with municipalities entered into pursuant to the provisions of section 10 of this act, and all other sources of revenue of the authority derived from the operation of the project. The bonds may be either serial bonds or term bonds, or any combination thereof. Any serial bonds shall have annual or semiannual maturities, the first maturity of which shall be payable not more than 10 years from their date. Any bonds shall be redeemable commencing with an interest payment date to be determined at such prices and upon such terms and conditions as prescribed by the authorizing resolution of the governing body of the authority, and recited upon the face of the bonds. The bonds shall mature not more than 40 years from their date, shall be coupon bonds bearing interest at not more than 6% per annum, payable semiannually, except as to the first coupon, which may be for any number of months not exceeding 10, shall be payable in such medium, shall be in such form and executed in such manner, shall have such privilege of registration as to principal or principal and interest, shall be payable at such places within or without the state, and shall otherwise have such other details as may be fixed by resolution of the governing body of the authority. The resolution of the governing body of the authority may provide the terms and conditions under which additional revenue bonds may be issued, having parity of lien with those issued and outstanding for the purpose of completing the project or providing for additions, extensions and improvements thereto. All bonds issued under the provisions of this section shall contain a statement on their face that they are payable solely and only from the revenues of the authority specifically pledged for their payment, and that the authority is authorized to pay such bonds and interest only from the revenues pledged thereto under the provisions of this section. If any official whose signature appears on the bonds or coupons ceases to be such officer before delivery of the bonds, the signature shall nevertheless be valid and sufficient for all purposes with like effect as though the person had remained in office until delivery. All such bonds are hereby declared to be fully negotiable and to have all of the qualities incident to negotiable instruments under the negotiable instruments law of the state, subject only to the provisions for registration of the bonds which may appear therein. The bonds shall be exempt from all taxation by the state or any of its political subdivisions, and may be sold by the governing body of the authority in such manner as it, in its sole discretion, determines to be in the best interest of the authority, but no sale shall be made at a price that will result in an interest cost of more than 6% per annum. The issuance and sale of bonds shall not be subject to the approval or authorization of any other agency of government, whether federal, state or local, but shall be entirely within the discretion and judgment of the governing body of the authority. Prior to the preparation of definitive bonds, the governing body of the authority may provide for the issuance of temporary bonds, with or without coupons, exchangeable for definitive bonds upon the issuance of the latter. The proceedings authorizing the bonds may provide that the bonds shall contain a recital that they are issued pursuant to this act, and such recital shall be conclusive evidence of their validity and the regularity of their issuance.