Water Industry Act 1991

Other supplies E+W

55 Supplies for non-domestic purposes. E+W

(1) This section applies where the owner or occupier of any premises in the area of a water undertaker requests the undertaker to provide a supply of water to those premises and—

(a) the premises are premises which do not consist in the whole or any part of a building; or

(b) the requested supply is for purposes other than domestic purposes.

(2) Where this section applies, it shall be the duty of the water undertaker, in accordance with such terms and conditions as may be determined under section 56 below—

(a) to take any such steps as may be so determined in order to enable the undertaker to provide the requested supply; and

(b) having taken any such steps, to provide that supply.

(3) A water undertaker shall not be required by virtue of this section to provide a new supply to any premises, or to take any steps to enable it to provide such a supply, if the provision of that supply or the taking of those steps would—

(a) require the undertaker, in order to meet all its existing obligations to supply water for domestic or other purposes, together with its probable future obligations to supply buildings and parts of buildings with water for domestic purposes, to incur unreasonable expenditure in carrying out works; or

(b) otherwise put at risk the ability of the undertaker to meet any of the existing or probable future obligations mentioned in paragraph (a) above.

(4) A water undertaker shall not be required by virtue of this section to provide a new supply to any premises, or to take any steps to enable it to provide such a supply, if there is a contravention in relation to the water fittings used or to be used in connection with—

(a) the supply of water to those premises; or

(b) the use of water in those premises,

of such of the requirements of regulations under section 74 below as are prescribed for the purposes of this subsection.

(5) Where—

(a) a request has been made by any person to a water undertaker for the purposes of subsection (2) above; and

(b) the steps which the undertaker is required to take by virtue of that request include steps for the purpose of obtaining any necessary authority for, or agreement to, any exercise by the undertaker of any of its powers or the carrying out by the undertaker of any works,

the failure of the undertaker to acquire the necessary authority or agreement shall not affect any liability of that person, under any term or condition in accordance with which those steps are taken, to re-imburse the undertaker in respect of some or all of the expenses incurred by the undertaker in taking those steps.

(6) Nothing in this section shall impose any duty on a water undertaker to provide a supply of water to any premises during any period during which it is reasonable for the supply of water to those premises to be cut off or reduced for the purposes of the carrying out of any necessary works.

(7) The duty of a water undertaker to supply water under this section at the request of any person, and any terms and conditions determined under section 56 below in default of agreement between the undertaker and that person, shall have effect as if contained in such an agreement.

(8) Except so far as otherwise provided by the terms and conditions determined under section 56 below in relation to any supply, the duties of a water undertaker under this section shall have effect subject to the provisions of sections 60 to 63 and 75 below.

Modifications etc. (not altering text)

C1 S. 55 extended (01.12.1991) By Water Consolidation (Consequential Provisions) Act 1991 (c. 60, SIF 130), ss. 2(2), 4(2), Sch. 2 Pt. I para.8.

56 Determinations on requests for non-domestic supplies. E+W

(1) Subject to subsection (3) below, any terms or conditions or other matter which falls to be determined for the purposes of a request made by any person to a water undertaker for the purposes of section 55 above shall be determined—

(a) by agreement between that person and the water undertaker; or

(b) in default of agreement, by the Director according to what appears to him to be reasonable.

(2) Subject to subsection (3) below, the Director shall also determine any dispute arising between any person and a water undertaker by virtue of subsection (3) or (4) of section 55 above.

(3) The Director may, instead of himself making a determination under subsection (1) or (2) above, refer any matter submitted to him for determination under that subsection to the arbitration of such person as he may appoint.

(4) For the purposes of any determination under this section by the Director or any person appointed by him it shall be for a water undertaker to show that it should not be required to comply with a request made for the purposes of section 55 above.

(5) The charges in respect of a supply provided in compliance with any request made for the purposes of section 55 above—

(a) shall not be determined by the Director or a person appointed by him, except in so far as, at the time of the request, no provision is in force by virtue of a charges scheme under section 143 below in respect of supplies of the applicable description; and

(b) in so far they do fall to be determined, shall be so determined having regard to the desirability of the undertaker’s—

(i) recovering the expenses of complying with its obligations under section 55 above; and

(ii) securing a reasonable return on its capital.

(6) To the extent that subsection (5)(a) above excludes any charges from a determination under this section, those charges shall be fixed from time to time by a charges scheme under section 143 below, but not otherwise.

(7) The determination of any matter under this section shall be without prejudice to the provisions of sections 233 and 372 of the M1 Insolvency Act 1986 (conditions of supply after insolvency).

Marginal Citations

M1 1986 c. 45.

57 Duty to provide a supply of water etc. for fire-fighting. E+W

(1) It shall be the duty of a water undertaker to allow any person to take water for extinguishing fires from any of its water mains or other pipes on which a fire-hydrant is fixed.

(2) Every water undertaker shall, at the request of the fire authority concerned, fix fire-hydrants on its water mains (other than its trunk mains) at such places as may be most convenient for affording a supply of water for extinguishing any fire which may break out within the area of the undertaker.

(3) It shall be the duty of every water undertaker to keep every fire-hydrant fixed on any of its water mains or other pipes in good working order and, for that purpose, to replace any such hydrant when necessary.

(4) It shall be the duty of a water undertaker to ensure that a fire authority has been supplied by the undertaker with all such keys as the authority may require for the fire-hydrants fixed on the water mains or other pipes of the undertaker.

[F1 (4A) Where a fire-hydrant is removed (other than at the request of the fire authority concerned) by a water undertaker in the course of carrying out works in relation to any of its water mains or other pipes, the cost of replacing the fire-hydrant shall be borne by the undertaker.]

(5) Subject to section 58(3) below, the expenses incurred by a water undertaker in complying with its obligations under subsections (2) to (4) above shall be borne by the fire authority concerned.

(6) Nothing in this section shall require a water undertaker to do anything which it is unable to do by reason of the carrying out of any necessary works.

(7) The obligations of a water undertaker under this section shall be enforceable under section 18 above by the Secretary of State.

(8) In addition, where a water undertaker is in breach of its obligations under this section, the undertaker shall be guilty of an offence and liable—

(a) on summary conviction, to a fine not exceeding the statutory maximum;

(b) on conviction on indictment, to a fine.

(9) In any proceedings against any water undertaker for an offence under subsection (8) above it shall be a defence for that undertaker to show that it took all reasonable steps and exercised all due diligence to avoid the commission of the offence.

(10) In this section “fire authority” has the same meaning as in the M2 Fire Services Act 1947.

Textual Amendments

F1 S. 57(4A) inserted (1.4.2004) by Water Act 2003 (c. 37), ss. 84(1), 105(3); S.I. 2004/641, art. 3(v) (with art. 6, Sch. 3)

Marginal Citations

M2 1947 c. 41.

58 Specially requested fire-hydrants. E+W

(1) A water undertaker shall, at the request of the owner or occupier of any factory or place of business, fix a fire-hydrant, to be used for extinguishing fires and not other purposes, at such place on any suitable water main or other pipe of the undertaker as is as near as conveniently possible to that factory or place of business.

(2) For the purposes of subsection (1) above a water main or other pipe is suitable, in relation to a factory or place of business, if—

(a) it is situated in a street which is in or near to that factory or place of business; and

(b) it is of sufficient dimensions to carry a hydrant and is not a trunk main.

(3) Subsection (5) of section 57 above shall not apply in relation to expenses incurred in compliance, in relation to a specially requested fire-hydrant, with the obligations under subsections (3) and (4) of that section.

(4) Any expenses incurred by a water undertaker—

(a) in complying with its obligations under subsection (1) above; or

(b) in complying, in relation to a specially requested fire-hydrant, with its obligations under section 57(3) or (4) above,

shall be borne by the owner or occupier of the factory or place of business in question, according to whether the person who made the original request for the hydrant did so in his capacity as owner or occupier.

[F2 (4A) Where a specially requested fire-hydrant is removed (other than at the request of the owner or occupier of the factory or place of business in question) by a water undertaker in the course of carrying out works in relation to any of its water mains or other pipes, the cost of replacing the fire-hydrant shall be borne by the undertaker.]

(5) Subsections (6) to (9) of section 57 above shall apply in relation to the obligations of a water undertaker under this section as they apply to the obligations of a water undertaker under that section.

(6) In this section—

• “factory” has the same meaning as in the M3 Factories Act 1961; and

• “specially requested fire-hydrant” means a fire-hydrant which—

(a) is fixed on a water main or other pipe of a water undertaker; and

(b) was fixed on that main or pipe (whether before or after it became such a main or pipe under the M4 Water Act 1989) in pursuance of a request made by the owner or occupier of a factory or place of business.

Textual Amendments

F2 S. 58(4A) inserted (1.4.2004) by Water Act 2003 (c. 37), ss. 84(2), 105(3); S.I. 2004/641, art. 3(v) (art. 6, Sch. 3)

Marginal Citations

M3 1961 c. 34.

M4 1989 c. 15.

59 Supplies for other public purposes. E+W

(1) A water undertaker shall, at the request of a sewerage undertaker, highway authority or local authority, provide, from such of its pipes as are of an appropriate capacity, a supply of water for cleansing sewers and drains, for cleansing and watering highways or, as the case may be, for supplying any public pumps, baths or wash-houses.

(2) A supply of water provided by a water undertaker under this section shall be provided upon such terms and conditions as may be reasonable.

(3) A water main or other pipe of a water undertaker shall be treated as of an appropriate capacity for the purposes of this section if and only if it has a fire-hydrant fixed on it.

(4) Nothing in this section shall require a water undertaker to do anything which it is unable to do by reason of the carrying out of any necessary works.

(5) The obligations of a water undertaker under this section shall be enforceable under section 18 above by the Director.