CHAPTER 355

An Act to permit certain counties to acquire the property of certain
public service corporations located within the county under certain
circumstances. :

[fH 159]

Approved April 2, 1954

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:

1. For the purpose of making provision for an adequate water supply
or of acquiring, maintaining or enlarging a water works system or for
the further purpose of providing for an adequate system of sewage
disposal or of acquiring, maintaining or enlarging a sewage disposal
system, within the county or any part thereof, the board of supervisors
of any county adjoining a city with a population of more than two hundred
twenty-five thousand, in addition to other powers conferred by law, shall
have the power to acquire within the limits of the county, by purchase,
condemnation, lease or otherwise, the property within the county, in whole
or in part, whensoever acquired, of any private or public service corpora-
tion operating a water system or a sewer system or chartered for the
purpose of acquiring or operating such a system, whether such property,
or any part thereof is essential to the purposes of the corporation or not;
however any county condemning property hereunder shall rest under the
same obligation in respect of furnishing water or sewer service to such
customers of any water or sewer company whose property is condemned
as that under which such companies rested before such proceeding were
taken and had; provided that no county shal] take by condemnation pro-
ceedings any property belonging to any corporation possessing the power
of eminent domain, unless, after hearing all parties in interest, the State
Corporation Commission shall certify that a public necessity or that an
essential public convenience shall so require, and shall give its permission
thereto; and provided further that this act shall not apply to the property
owned or operated by any corporation subject to regulation by the
Interstate Commerce Commission.

2. An emergency exists and this act is in force from its passage.