As used in this act, unless a different meaning clearly appears from the context:

    (a) The term “public corporation” shall be construed to mean any county, city, village, township or metropolitan district, of the state of Michigan, or any authority created by or pursuant to an act of the legislature.

    (b) The term “governing body” shall be construed to mean, in the case of a county, the board of supervisors; in the case of a city, the council, common council, commission or other body having legislative powers; in the case of a village, the council, common council, commission, board of trustees or other body having legislative powers; in the case of a township, the township board; in the case of a metropolitan district, the legislative body of the district; and in the case of an authority, the body in which is lodged general governing powers.

     Any public corporation is hereby authorized to apply for and accept grants or any other aid which the United States government or any agency thereof has authorized or may hereafter authorize to be given or made to the several states of the United States or to any political subdivisions or agencies thereof within the states for the construction of public improvements, including all necessary action preliminary thereto, the purpose of which is to aid in the prevention or abatement of water pollution.

     Any public corporation is further authorized to accept contributions and other aid from industries for the purpose of aiding in the prevention or abatement of water pollution and in furtherance of such purpose to enter into contracts and agreements with industries covering the following:

    (a) The collection, treatment and disposal of sewage and industrial wastes from industries;

    (b) The use and operation by any such public corporation of sewage collection, treatment and/or disposal facilities owned by any industry;

    (c) The coordination of the sewage collection, treatment and/or disposal facilities of the public corporation with the sewage collection, treatment and/or disposal facilities of any industry;

    (d) When determined by its governing body to be in the public interest and necessary for the protection of the public health, any public corporation is authorized to enter into and perform contracts, whether long-term or short-term, with any industrial establishment for the provision and operation by the public corporation of sewerage facilities to abate or reduce the pollution of waters caused by discharges of industrial wastes by the industrial establishment and the payment periodically by the industrial establishment to the public corporation of amounts at least sufficient, in the determination of such governing body, to compensate the public corporation for the cost of providing (including payment of principal and interest charges, if any), and of operating and maintaining the sewerage facilities serving such industrial establishment: Provided, That the exercise by any public corporation of such powers outside of its corporate limits shall be subject to the legal rights of the political subdivision within which such powers are to be exercised and shall also be subject to any and all constitutional and statutory provisions relating thereto.