The Water and Sewerage Services (Northern Ireland) Order 2006

Variations within time limit

183.—(1) A sewerage undertaker may give a direction under Article 182 before the time specified in paragraph (2) of that Article and without the consent required by paragraph (3) of that Article if it considers it necessary to do so in order to provide proper protection for persons likely to be affected by the discharges which could lawfully be made apart from the direction.

(2) Subject to Article 192(3), where a sewerage undertaker gives a direction by virtue of paragraph (1), the undertaker shall be liable to pay compensation to the holder of the consent under this Chapter to which the direction relates unless the undertaker is of the opinion that the direction is required

(a) in consequence of a change of circumstances which

(i) has occurred since the beginning of the period of two years in question; and

(ii) could not reasonably have been foreseen at the beginning of that period; and

(b) otherwise than in consequence of consents for discharges given after the beginning of that period.

(3) Where a sewerage undertaker gives a direction by virtue of paragraph (1) and is of the opinion mentioned in paragraph (2), it shall be the duty of the undertaker to give notice of the reasons for its opinion to the holder of the consent under this Chapter to which the direction relates.

(4) For the purposes of this Article the circumstances referred to in paragraph (2)(a) may include the information available as to the discharges to which the consent in question relates or as to the interaction of those discharges with other discharges or matter.

(5) The Department may by regulations make provision as to the manner of determining the amount of any compensation payable under this Article, including the factors to be taken into account in determining that amount.