Search Legislation

Water Environment and Water Services (Scotland) Act 2003

Changes to legislation:

Water Environment and Water Services (Scotland) Act 2003 is up to date with all changes known to be in force on or before 04 December 2024. There are changes that may be brought into force at a future date. Help about Changes to Legislation

Close

Changes to Legislation

Revised legislation carried on this site may not be fully up to date. Changes and effects are recorded by our editorial team in lists which can be found in the ‘Changes to Legislation’ area. Where those effects have yet to be applied to the text of the legislation by the editorial team they are also listed alongside the affected provisions when you open the content using the Table of Contents below.

View outstanding changes

Changes and effects yet to be applied to :

Changes and effects yet to be applied to the whole Act associated Parts and Chapters:

Whole provisions yet to be inserted into this Act (including any effects on those provisions):

  1. Introductory Text

  2. Part 1 Protection of the water environment

    1. Chapter 1 Purpose, general duties and definitions

      1. 1.General purpose of Part 1

      2. 2.The general duties

      3. 3.The water environment: definitions

    2. Chapter 2 River basin management planning

      1. River basin districts

        1. 4.Establishment of river basin districts

        2. 5.Characterisation of river basin districts

        3. 5A.Shellfish water protected areas

        4. 6.Bodies of water used for the abstraction of drinking water

        5. 7.Register of protected areas

        6. 8.Monitoring

        7. 9.Environmental objectives and programmes of measures

      2. River basin management plans

        1. 10.River basin management plans

        2. 11.River basin management plans: publicity and consultation

        3. 12.River basin management plans: submission for approval

        4. 13.River basin management plans: approval

        5. 14.River basin management plans: review

        6. 15.Sub-basin plans

        7. 16.Duty to have regard to river basin management plans and sub-basin plans

        8. 17.River Basin District Advisory Groups

      3. General

        1. 18.Power to obtain information and documents etc.

        2. 19.General regulation-making power

    3. Chapter 3 Measures for protection of the water environment

      1. 20.Regulation of controlled activities

      2. 21.Controlled activities regulations: procedure

      3. 22.Remedial and restoration measures

      4. 23.Fixing of charges for water services

      5. 24.Planning permission: fish farming

    4. Chapter 4 Supplementary

      1. 25.Power to give effect to Community obligations etc.

      2. 26.Annual report on implementation of Directive

      3. 27.Availability of documents for public inspection

      4. 28.Interpretation of Part 1

      5. 28A.Interpretation of Directives for the purposes of Part 1

  3. Part 2 Water and sewerage services

    1. Duty to provide water and sewerage services

      1. 29.Duty to provide water and sewerage services

      2. 30.Private sewers, SUD systems and sewage treatment works etc.: vesting, takeover and connection conditions

    2. Mains and pipes provided by persons other than Scottish Water

      1. 31.Laying of water mains and communication pipes by persons other than Scottish Water

    3. Vesting of waterworks and mains

      1. 32.Vesting in Scottish Water of waterworks and mains

    4. Sustainable urban drainage systems

      1. 33.Sustainable urban drainage systems

    5. Supplementary

      1. 34.Modifications of Part III of the 1980 Act

  4. Part 3 General

    1. 35.Crown application

    2. 36.Orders and regulations

    3. 37.Ancillary provision

    4. 38.Commencement and short title

    1. SCHEDULE 1

      Matters to be included in river basin management plans

      1. Part 1 Matters to be included in every plan

        1. 1.A summary of the characterisation of the river basin district...

        2. 2.A summary of significant pressures, and the impact of human...

        3. 3.A summary of the register of protected areas maintained under...

        4. 4.Information as to the arrangements for monitoring water status under...

        5. 5.A list of the environmental objectives set under section 9...

        6. 6.A summary of the programme of measures prepared under section...

        7. 7.Information as to any sub-basin plan.

        8. 8.A non-technical summary of the information provided under paragraphs 1...

        9. 9.A summary of— (a) the steps taken under subsections (3)...

        10. 10.Information as to— (a) SEPA, and (b) every responsible authority...

        11. 11.The arrangements for making available to the public documents and...

      2. Part 2 Additional matters to be included in revised plans

        1. 12.A summary of the changes which have been made as...

        2. 13.An assessment of the progress made towards the achievement of...

        3. 14.A summary of any measures included in the programme of...

        4. 15.A summary of any measures additional to those referred to...

    2. SCHEDULE 2

      Controlled activities regulations: particular purposes

      1. Part 1 List of purposes

        1. 1.(1) Further defining the activities specified in subsection (3) of...

        2. 2.(1) Determining the authorities (whether SEPA or any other public...

        3. 3.(1) Prohibiting persons from carrying on, or from causing or...

        4. 4.(1) Requiring persons proposing to carry on controlled activities to...

        5. 5.(1) Prescribing the form and content of applications for water...

        6. 6.(1) Regulating the procedure for registration required by provision made...

        7. 7.(1) Authorising, or authorising regulators to make, vary and revoke...

        8. 8.Publicity and consultation

        9. 9.Requiring or authorising regulators to carry out consultation in connection...

        10. 10.Enforcement and offences

        11. 11.(1) Authorising regulators to serve on any persons carrying on...

        12. 12.Creating offences and dealing with matters relating to such offences,...

        13. 13.Enabling, where a person has been convicted of an offence...

        14. 14.(1) Conferring rights of appeal in respect of decisions made,...

        15. 15.(1) Making provision which, subject to any modifications that the...

      2. Part 2 Supplementary provisions

        1. 16.The regulations may provide for specified provisions of the regulations...

        2. 17.General binding rules may— (a) impose conditions or requirements,

        3. 18.In connection with the imposition of conditions as mentioned in...

        4. 19.The regulations may— (a) require any such scheme as is...

        5. 20.(1) The regulations may provide for any such offence as...

        6. 21.In this schedule— “general binding rules” means rules specified in...

    3. SCHEDULE 2A

      Remedial and restoration measures regulations: offences

      1. Offences

        1. 1.Creating offences and dealing with matters relating to such offences,...

        2. 2.Enabling, where a person has been convicted of an offence...

        3. 3.Making provision which, subject to any modification that the Scottish...

      2. Supplementary

        1. 4.(1) The regulations may provide for any such offence as...

      3. Interpretation

        1. 5.In this schedule— “ the regulations ” means regulations under...

    4. SCHEDULE 3

      Sustainable urban drainage systems: further amendments

      1. 1.The 1968 Act

      2. 2.In section 1(1) (duty of Scottish Water to provide for...

      3. 3.In section 2 (maintenance of public sewers etc.), after “sewers,”...

      4. 4.In section 3 (power to construct public sewers)—

      5. 5.In section 3A(2) (vesting of privately constructed sewers)—

      6. 6.In section 4 (Scottish Water may close or alter public...

      7. 7.In section 7(1) (agreements between roads authorities and Scottish Water),...

      8. 8.In section 8(1) (agreements as to provision of sewers etc....

      9. 9.In section 11(1) (Scottish Water to keep maps of sewers,...

      10. 10.(1) Section 12 (rights of owners and occupiers to connect...

      11. 11.In section 14 (direction by Scottish Water as to manner...

      12. 12.In section 15 (owner or occupier to remedy defects in...

      13. 13.In section 16 (vesting of sewers and other works in...

      14. 14.In section 16A (vesting of certain private sewers)—

      15. 15.In section 17 (Scottish Water may take over private sewage...

      16. 16.In section 21(1) (buildings not to interfere with sewers), after...

      17. 17.In section 23 (restriction on working minerals)—

      18. 18.In section 39 (Scottish Water to have right to sewage),...

      19. 19.In section 41 (breaking open of streets etc.), after “sewers”...

      20. 20.In section 45 (production of plans and information)—

      21. 21.In section 46 (certain matter not to be passed into...

      22. 22.In section 48(1) (powers of entry)— (a) in paragraph (a),...

      23. 23.In section 59 (interpretation)— (a) in subsection (1), in the...

      24. 24.In section 46(1)(b)(ii) of the Water Industry (Scotland) Act 2002...

    5. SCHEDULE 4

      Modifications of Part III of the 1980 Act

      1. 1.In section 22 (power to break open streets) of the...

      2. 2.In section 23 (power to lay mains etc.), after subsection...

      3. 3.(1) Section 24 (communication and supply pipes) of the 1980...

      4. 4.(1) Part II of Schedule 3 (provisions as to laying...

      5. 5.In Schedule 4 (provisions to be incorporated in orders relating...

    6. SCHEDULE 5

      Interpretation of Directives for the purposes of Part 1

      1. PART 1 The Directive

        1. Introduction

          1. 1.(1) When interpreting the Directive for the purposes of Part...

        2. Modifications to the Articles

          1. 2.Article 2 is to be read as if—

          2. 3.Article 3(9) is to be ignored.

          3. 4.Article 4 is to be read as if—

          4. 5.Article 7(2) is to be read as if—

          5. 6.Article 10 is to be ignored.

          6. 7.Article 11(3) is to be read as if—

          7. 8.Article 12 is to be ignored.

          8. 9.Article 15 is to be ignored.

          9. 10.Article 24 is to be ignored.

          10. 11.Annex II is to be read as if, in section...

          11. 12.Annex IV is to be read as if—

          12. 13.Annex V is to be read as if—

          13. 14.Annex VI is to be read as if Part A...

          14. 15.Annex VII is to be read as if, in Part...

        3. Definition of assimilated law

          1. 16.For the purposes of this Part, “ assimilated law ”...

      2. PART 2 The Groundwater Directive

        1. Introduction

          1. 17.(1) When interpreting the Groundwater Directive for the purposes of...

        2. Modifications to the Articles

          1. 18.Article 3(5) is to be read as if for “submitted”...

          2. 19.Article 5(4) and (5) is to be read as if...

          3. 20.Article 6(4) is to be read as if the words...

          4. 21.Article 12 is to be ignored.

          5. 22.Annex I is to be read as if—

          6. 23.Annex II is to be read as if, in Part...

        3. Definition of assimilated law

          1. 24.For the purposes of this Part, “ assimilated law ”...

      3. PART 3 The Priority Substances Directive

        1. Introduction

          1. 25.(1) When interpreting the Priority Substances Directive for the purposes...

        2. Modifications to Articles

          1. 26.(1) A reference in Article 3 to a provision of...

          2. 27.Article 4 is to be read as if—

          3. 28.Article 5 is to be read as if—

          4. 29.The following are to be ignored— (a) Article 6(2),

        3. Definition of assimilated law

          1. 30.For the purposes of this Part, “ assimilated law ”...

Back to top

Options/Help

Print Options

Close

Legislation is available in different versions:

Latest Available (revised):The latest available updated version of the legislation incorporating changes made by subsequent legislation and applied by our editorial team. Changes we have not yet applied to the text, can be found in the ‘Changes to Legislation’ area.

Original (As Enacted or Made): The original version of the legislation as it stood when it was enacted or made. No changes have been applied to the text.

Close

Opening Options

Different options to open legislation in order to view more content on screen at once

Close

Explanatory Notes

Text created by the Scottish Government to explain what the Act sets out to achieve and to make the Act accessible to readers who are not legally qualified. Explanatory Notes were introduced in 1999 and accompany all Acts of the Scottish Parliament except those which result from Budget Bills.

Close

More Resources

Access essential accompanying documents and information for this legislation item from this tab. Dependent on the legislation item being viewed this may include:

  • the original print PDF of the as enacted version that was used for the print copy
  • lists of changes made by and/or affecting this legislation item
  • confers power and blanket amendment details
  • all formats of all associated documents
  • correction slips
  • links to related legislation and further information resources
Close

Timeline of Changes

This timeline shows the different points in time where a change occurred. The dates will coincide with the earliest date on which the change (e.g an insertion, a repeal or a substitution) that was applied came into force. The first date in the timeline will usually be the earliest date when the provision came into force. In some cases the first date is 01/02/1991 (or for Northern Ireland legislation 01/01/2006). This date is our basedate. No versions before this date are available. For further information see the Editorial Practice Guide and Glossary under Help.

Close

More Resources

Use this menu to access essential accompanying documents and information for this legislation item. Dependent on the legislation item being viewed this may include:

  • the original print PDF of the as enacted version that was used for the print copy
  • correction slips

Click 'View More' or select 'More Resources' tab for additional information including:

  • lists of changes made by and/or affecting this legislation item
  • confers power and blanket amendment details
  • all formats of all associated documents
  • links to related legislation and further information resources