A district may contract to operate, maintain, or improve ditches and laterals not owned by the district upon petition of at least two-thirds of the owners of land served by such ditches or laterals.

In order to carry out the purposes of this section, a district may make such contracts as the board deems necessary, including but not limited to loan and repayment contracts, construction contracts, and rental of equipment contracts.

The amendment of this section made at the 1963 Regular Session of the Legislature does not constitute a change in, but is declaratory of, the pre-existing law.