Water Act 2003

52 Co-operation between water regulators

(1) This section imposes duties on each of the following—

(a) the Secretary of State,

(b) the Assembly,

(c) the Environment Agency, and

(d) the Water Services Regulation Authority.

(2) It is the duty of each of those mentioned in subsection (1) to make arrangements with each of the others with a view to promoting, in the case of each pair of them—

(a) co-operation and the exchange of information between them, and

(b) consistency of treatment of matters which affect both of them.

(3) That duty relates only—

(a) in the case of the Water Services Regulation Authority, to its functions under the WIA relating to the regulation of water and sewerage undertakers and licensed water suppliers,

(b) in the case of the Secretary of State and the Assembly, to their functions of the description referred to in paragraph (a), and to their functions under the WIA relating to the quality of water supplied by water undertakers and licensed water suppliers,

(c) in the case of the Environment Agency, to its functions concerning water resources and water pollution so far as they relate to water and sewerage undertakers and licensed water suppliers.

(4) As soon as practicable after agreement is reached on any arrangements required by this section, the parties must prepare a memorandum setting them out.

(5) The parties to any such arrangements must keep them under review.

(6) As soon as practicable after agreement is reached on any changes to arrangements under this section, the parties must revise their memorandum.

(7) Parties to arrangements required by this section must send a copy of their memorandum (and any revised memorandum) to each person mentioned in subsection (1) who is not a party to the arrangements set out in it.

(8) The Secretary of State must lay before each House of Parliament a copy of every memorandum (and revised memorandum) under this section.