Sec. 12. (a) IC 14-33-4-2 does not apply to the addition of territory to a district in any county for the purpose of supplying water to additional users outside the territorial boundaries of the district. The commission has exclusive jurisdiction over the granting to a district of territorial authority to serve additional water users.
(b) For the purposes of:
(1) granting territorial authority to a district to serve additional water users under subsection (a); and
(2) exercising the commission's jurisdiction for changes in the rates and charges of a district under section 14 of this chapter;
the commission shall recoup its expenses under IC 8-1-2-70. For purposes of this subsection, a district that has the purpose of water supply and that operates under this chapter is considered a municipal utility.