Water Industry Act 1991

61 Disconnections for non-payment of charges.E+W

(1)Subject to [F1subsections (1A) to (6)], a water undertaker may disconnect a service pipe which for the purposes of providing a supply of water to any premises is connected with any water main of that undertaker, or may otherwise cut off a supply of water to any premises, [F2if subsection (1ZA) or (1ZB) applies

(1ZA) This subsection applies] if the occupier of the premises—

(a)is liable (whether in his capacity as occupier or under any agreement with the undertaker) to pay charges due to the undertaker in respect of the supply of water to those premises; and

(b)has failed to do so before the end of the period of seven days beginning with the day after he is served with notice requiring him to do so.

[F3(1ZB)This subsection applies if a water supply licensee requests the undertaker to disconnect the service pipe or otherwise cut off the supply of water to the premises.

(1ZC)A water supply licensee may make a request under subsection (1ZB) only if—

(a)the occupier of the premises is liable under an agreement with the licensee to pay charges to the licensee in respect of the supply of water to the premises,

(b)the licensee has served notice on the occupier requiring payment of charges due,

(c)the occupier has failed to pay the charges before the end of the period of seven days beginning with the day after the notice was served, and

(d)that period has expired.]

[F4(1A)The power conferred by subsection (1) above is not exercisable in relation to any premises specified in Schedule 4A to this Act.]

(2)Where—

(a)a water undertaker has served a notice for the purposes of paragraph (b) of [F5subsection (1ZA)] above on a person; and

(b)within the period of seven days mentioned in that paragraph, that person serves a counter-notice on the undertaker stating that he disputes his liability to pay the charges in question,

the undertaker shall not in respect of that notice exercise his power by virtue of [F6subsection (1)] in relation to any premises except at a time when that person is the occupier of the premises and those charges are enforceable against that person in a manner specified in subsection (3) below.

[F7(2A)Where—

(a)a water supply licensee has served a notice for the purposes of subsection (1ZC)(b) on a person, and

(b)within the period of seven days mentioned in subsection (1ZC)(c), the person serves a counter-notice on the licensee stating that he disputes his liability to pay the charges in question,

the licensee may not make a request under subsection (1ZB) in relation to the premises except at a time when that person is the occupier of the premises and those charges are enforceable against that person in a manner specified in subsection (3).]

(3)For the purposes of subsection (2) [F8or (2A)] above charges are enforceable in a manner specified in this subsection against a person if-

(a)the undertaker [F9or, as the case may be, the licensee] is able to enforce a judgment against that person for the payment of the charges; or

(b)that person is in breach of an agreement entered into, since the service of his counter-notice, for the purpose of avoiding or settling proceedings by the undertaker [F10or, as the case may be, the licensee] for the recovery of the charges.

(4)A water undertaker which exercises its power under this section to disconnect any pipe or otherwise to cut off any supply of water may recoverF11... any expenses reasonably incurred by the undertaker in making the disconnection or in otherwise cutting off the supply [F12—

(a)from the person in respect of whose liability the power is exercised, in a case where the power is exercised in the circumstances mentioned in subsection (1ZA);

(b)from the water supply licensee who made the request, in a case where the power is exercised in the circumstances mentioned in subsection (1ZB).]

(5)Where—

(a)a water undertaker has power under this section to disconnect any pipe to any premises, or otherwise to cut off any supply to any premises; and

(b)a supply of water is provided to those premises [F13(“the primary premises”)] and to other premises [F14(“the secondary premises”)] wholly or partly by the same service pipe,

the undertaker may exercise that power so as to cut off the supply to [F15the secondary premises] if and only if the same person is the occupier of [F16the primary premises] and of [F17the secondary premises].

[F18(6)The undertaker may not cut off the supply to the secondary premises in reliance on subsection (5) if—

(a)in a case where the undertaker is exercising the power in subsection (1) because charges are due to it, the secondary premises are supplied by a person other than the undertaker;

(b)in a case where the undertaker is exercising the power in subsection (1) because of a request for disconnection under subsection (1ZB), the secondary premises are supplied by a person other than the licensee which made that request.]

Textual Amendments

F4S. 61(1A) inserted (30.6.1999) by 1999 c. 9, ss. 1(1), 17(2)

F5Words in s. 61(2)(a) substituted (1.4.2017) by Water Act 2014 (c. 21), s. 94(3), Sch. 7 para. 60(4)(a); S.I. 2017/462, art. 3(k)(vii)