The Water and Sewerage Services (Northern Ireland) Order 2006

Provision of information

284.  In the Water Order after Article 28 insert—

“Provision of information

28A.— (1) It shall be the duty of the Department—

(a) to provide a water undertaker with all such information to which this Article applies as is in the possession of the Department and is reasonably requested by the undertaker for purposes connected with the carrying out of its functions; and

(b) to provide reasonable facilities to all persons—

(i) for the inspection of the contents of any records kept by the Department and containing information to which this Article applies; and

(ii) for the taking of copies of, or of extracts from, any such records.

(2) It shall be the duty of every water undertaker to provide the Department with all such information to which this Article applies as is in the possession of the undertaker and is reasonably requested by the Department for purposes connected with the carrying out of any of its functions.

(3) Where records of the flow, level or volume of water in any waterway are kept by a person other than a water undertaker, the Department shall have the right at all reasonable times—

(a) to inspect the contents of any of those records; and

(b) to take copies of, or of extracts from, the contents of any of those records,

and any person who, without reasonable excuse, refuses or fails to permit the Department to exercise its right under this paragraph shall be guilty of an offence and liable, on summary conviction, to a fine not exceeding level 1 on the standard scale.

(4) Information provided to a water undertaker or to the Department under paragraph (1) or (2) shall be provided in such form and in such manner and at such times as the undertaker or, as the case may be, the Department may reasonably require; and the duties of the Department under paragraph (1) shall extend to information provided to or obtained by the Department under paragraph (2) or (3).

(5) Information or facilities provided under paragraph (1) or (2) to—

(a) the Department,

(b) the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development;

(c) the Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure;

(d) a water undertaker; or

(e) Waterways Ireland,

shall be provided free of charge; and facilities provided under paragraph (1) to other persons may be provided on terms requiring the payment by persons making use of the facilities of such reasonable charges as the Department may determine.

(6) The duties of a water undertaker under paragraph (2) shall be enforceable under Article 30 of the Water and Sewerage Services (Northern Ireland) Order 2006 by the Northern Ireland Authority for Utility Regulation.

(7) This Article applies to information about—

(a) the flow, level or volume of any water in any waterway or contained in underground strata;

(b) rainfall or any fall of snow, hail or sleet; or

(c) the evaporation of any water.”.