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Water Act 2014

  • Explanatory Notes Table of contents

Please note:

All reference to 'Parts' and 'sections' are from the Water Act 2014. For other versions of these Explanatory Notes, see More Resources.

  1. Introduction

  2. Summary and Background

    1. Part 1: Water industry

      1. Chapter 1: Water supply licences and sewerage licences (sections 1 to 7 and Schedules 1 to 5)

      2. Chapter 2: Water and sewerage undertakers (sections 8 to 21)

      3. Chapter 3: Regulation of the water industry (sections 22 to 41 and Schedule 6)

      4. Chapter 4: Retail exit: non-household premises (sections 42 to 53)

      5. Chapter 5: Miscellaneous (sections 54 to 56 and Schedule 7)

    2. Part 2: Water resources (sections 57 to 60)

    3. Part 3: Environmental regulation (sections 61 to 63 and Schedule 8)

    4. Part 4: Flood insurance (sections 64 to 84)

    5. Part 5: Miscellaneous (sections 85 to 89 and Schedules 9 and 10)

    6. Part 6: General and final (sections 90 to 95 and Schedules 11 and 12)

  3. Overview of the Structure of the Act

  4. Territorial Extent and Application

  5. Commentary

    1. Part 1

      Water Industry

      1. Chapter 1

        Water Supply Licences and Sewerage Licences

        1. Expansion of water supply licensing

          1. Section 1: Types of water supply licence and arrangements with water undertakers

          2. Section 2: The supply system of a water undertaker

          3. Section 3: The threshold requirement

        2. Introduction of sewerage licences

          1. Section 4: Types of sewerage licence and arrangements with sewerage undertakers

        3. Application as regards Wales

          1. Section 5: Water supply and sewerage licensing changes applied as regards Wales

        4. Licensing arrangements between England and Wales and Scotland

          1. Section 6: Arrangements with the Water Industry Commission for Scotland

          2. Section 7: Arrangements with the Water Services Regulation Authority

      2. Chapter 2

        Water and Sewerage Undertakers

        1. Arrangements between relevant undertakers

          1. Section 8: Bulk supply of water by water undertakers

          2. Section 9: Main connections into sewerage systems

        2. Agreements to adopt infrastructure

          1. Section 10: Agreements by water undertakers to adopt infrastructure

          2. Section 11: Agreements by sewerage undertakers to adopt infrastructure

        3. Arrangements for water undertakers to take water

          1. Section 12: Arrangements for water undertakers to take water from other persons

        4. Appointments and variations

          1. Section 13: Procedure with respect to appointments and variations

        5. Duty of CMA to refer mergers of relevant undertakers

          1. Section 14: Exceptions to duty and undertakings in lieu of merger references

          2. Section 15: Exclusion of small mergers: advice of CMA on threshold

        6. Relevant undertakers’ charges

          1. Section 16: Charges schemes

          2. Section 17: Rules about charges for connections etc

          3. Section 18: Charges for providing a water main etc

          4. Section 19: Charges for providing a public sewer etc

          5. Section 20: Charges for moving pipes

        7. Sustainable drainage

          1. Section 21: Drainage systems relieving public sewers

      3. Chapter 3

        Regulation of the Water Industry

        1. General duties of the Water Services Regulation Authority

          1. Section 22: Primary duty to secure resilience

          2. Section 23: General duty as regards undue preference in the provision of services

          3. Section 24: Strategic priorities and objectives

        2. Regulation of relevant undertakers, water supply licensees and sewerage licensees

          1. Section 25: Procedure for granting water supply and sewerage licences

          2. Section 26: Extension of time limit for imposing financial penalties

          3. Section 27: Water resources management plans for England: resilience

          4. Section 28: Frequency of water resources management and drought plans

          5. Section 29: Standards of performance: water supply

          6. Section 30: Standards of performance: sewerage

          7. Section 31: Interim duty: water supply

          8. Section 32: Interim duty: sewerage services

          9. Section 33: Notice of agreements within section 142(2)(b)

          10. Section 34: Register relating to undertakers and licensees

          11. Section 35: Operation of register

          12. Section 36: Obtaining information for enforcement purposes

        3. Appeals relating to codes

          1. Section 37: Appeals relating to revisions of codes

        4. Guidance relating to rules about charges

          1. Section 38: Guidance relating to rules about charges

        5. Adjudication functions

          1. Section 39: Exercise of adjudication functions by other persons

        6. Drinking water inspectorate

          1. Section 40: Charging of fees by assessors for the enforcement of water quality

        7. Provision of public sewers: premises in Wales

          1. Section 41: Disputes about the provision of public sewers: premises in Wales

      4. Chapter 4

        Retail Exit: Non-Household Premises

        1. Section 42: Retail exit: non-household premises

        2. Section 43: Application for retail exit

        3. Section 44: Eligible licensees

        4. Section 45: Transfer of undertaking

        5. Section 46: Operation of retail market

        6. Section 47: Operation of retail market: charges etc

        7. Section 48: Exit applications: further provision

        8. Section 49: Modification of appointment and licence conditions

        9. Section 50: General directions

        10. Section 51: Exit regulations: general

        11. Section 52: Interpretation

        12. Section 53: Procedure

      5. Chapter 5

        Miscellaneous

        1. Section 54: Consumer redress

        2. Section 55: Modification of appointment and licence conditions

        3. Section 56: Further amendments

    2. Part 2

      Water Resources

      1. Section 57: Report on water abstraction reform

      2. Section 58: Withdrawal of compensation for undertakers

      3. Section 59: Main rivers in England and Wales

      4. Section 60: Maps of waterworks

    3. Part 3

      Environmental Regulation

      1. Section 61: Regulation of the water environment

      2. Section 62: Environmental regulation: procedure

      3. Section 63: Repeal of certain provisions about culverts

    4. Part 4

      Flood Insurance

      1. The Flood Reinsurance Scheme

        1. Section 64: The Flood Reinsurance Scheme

        2. Section 65: Scheme administrator

        3. Section 66: Scheme funding

        4. Section 67: Scheme administration

        5. Section 68: Replacement of the scheme or administrator

        6. Section 69: Disclosure of HMRC council tax information

      2. Flood insurance obligations

        1. Section 70: Flood insurance obligations

        2. Section 71: Target number

        3. Section 72: Information

        4. Section 73: Section 72: further provision

        5. Section 74: Register of premises subject to greater flood risk

        6. Section 75: Functions of relevant bodies

        7. Section 76: Reviews and appeals

        8. Section 77: Expenses of relevant bodies

        9. Section 78: Compliance reports

        10. Section 79: Functions of the FCA

        11. Section 80: Reports by the FCA

        12. Section 81: Intervention by the FCA or the PRA

      3. General

        1. Section 82: Interpretation

        2. Section 83: Period of operation

        3. Section 84: Regulations and orders

    5. Part 5

      Miscellaneous

      1. Section 85: Internal drainage boards: procedure for orders confirming reorganisation

      2. Section 86: Internal drainage boards in England: alternative procedure for byelaws

      3. Section 87: Publication requirements under the Land Drainage Act 1991

      4. Section 88: Sustainable drainage systems: non-performance bonds

      5. Section 89: Amendments relating to Regional Flood and Coastal Committees

    6. Part 6

      General and Final

      1. Sections 90 to 95: General and final provisions

  6. Schedules

    1. Schedule 1: Water supply licences: authorisations

    2. Schedule 2: Water undertakers’ duties as regards water supply licensees

    3. Schedule 3: Sewerage licences: authorisations

    4. Schedule 4: Sewerage undertakers’ duties as regards sewerage licensees

    5. Schedule 5: Extension of licensing provisions in relation to Wales

    6. Schedule 6: Procedure on appeals under section 207A of the Water Industry Act 1991

    7. Schedule 7: Further amendments

    8. Schedule 8: Regulation of the water environment

    9. Schedule 9: Publication requirements under the Land Drainage Act 1991

    10. Schedule 10: Amendments relating to Regional Flood and Coastal Committees

    11. Schedule 11: Orders under section 91: further provision

    12. Schedule 12: Commencement orders: appropriate authority

  7. Commencement Dates

  8. Hansard References

  • Explanatory Notes Table of contents

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