Duty to supply water for non-domestic purposes.
27Supply of water for non-domestic purposes.
(1)Subject as hereinafter provided, statutory water undertakers supplying water otherwise than in bulk shall give a supply of water on reasonable terms and conditions for purposes other than domestic purposes to the owner or occupier of any premises within their limits of supply who requests them to give such a supply to those premises:
Provided that they shall not be required to give such a supply if their ability to meet existing obligations to supply water for any purposes or probable future requirements to supply water for domestic purposes, without having to incur unreasonable expenditure in constructing new waterworks for the purpose, would be endangered thereby.
(2)Any question arising under this section as to the terms and conditions on which water is to be supplied thereunder and any question whether the undertakers are justified in refusing to give a supply, shall, in default of agreement, be referred to the Minister, and the Minister may determine it himself or, if he thinks fit, refer it for determination by an arbitrator appointed by him.
(3)Where any statutory water undertakers are required to give a supply of water under this section, the powers of those undertakers and of persons supplied or proposed to be supplied by them to lay mains and pipes for providing a supply of water for domestic purposes and to break up streets for that purpose shall apply for the purpose of the provision of a supply under this section.
(4)Where the terms and conditions on which a supply of water is to be provided to any person under this section have been agreed or determined, and that person has done everything which he is required by such agreement or determination to do before the supply is provided, the undertakers shall, if they fail to furnish the supply within such period as may be agreed or determined, or tail to maintain the supply in accordance with the said terms and conditions, be liable (without prejudice to any civil liability) to the like penalties in the like circumstances as in the case of a failure to furnish or maintain a supply of water which they are required to provide for domestic purposes.
(5)Section thirty-eight of this Act (which relates to liability for and recovery of water rates) shall apply in relation to charges for water supply under this section, whether by meter or otherwise, in like manner as it applies in relation to water rates.
(6)In this section the expression " domestic purposes " has the same meaning as it has for the purposes of the enactments relating to the undertakers.