Water Industry Act 1991

106 Right to communicate with public sewers

(1) Subject to the provisions of this section—

(a) the owner or occupier of any premises in the area of a sewerage undertaker; or

(b) the owner of any private sewer draining premises in the area of any such undertaker,

shall be entitled to have his drains or sewer communicate with the public sewers of that undertaker and thereby to discharge foul water and surface water from those premises or that private sewer.

(2) Subject to the provisions of Chapter III of this Part, nothing in subsection (1) above shall entitle any person—

(a) to discharge directly or indirectly into any public sewer—

(i) any liquid from a factory, other than domestic sewage or surface or storm water, or any liquid from a manufacturing process; or

(ii) any liquid or other matter the discharge of which into public sewers is prohibited by or under any enactment; or

(b) where separate public sewers are provided for foul water and for surface water, to discharge directly or indirectly—

(i) foul water into a sewer provided for surface water; or

(ii) except with the approval of the undertaker, surface water into a sewer provided for foul water; or

(c) to have his drains or sewer made to communicate directly with a storm-water overflow sewer.

(3) A person desirous of availing himself of his entitlement under this section shall give notice of his proposals to the sewerage undertaker in question.

(4) At any time within twenty-one days after a sewerage undertaker receives a notice under subsection (3) above, the undertaker may by notice to the person who gave the notice refuse to permit the communication to be made, if it appears to the undertaker that the mode of construction or condition of the drain or sewer is such that the making of the communication would be prejudicial to the undertaker’s sewerage system

(5) For the purpose of examining the mode of construction and condition of a drain or sewer to which a notice under subsection (3) above relates a sewerage undertaker may, if necessary, require it to be laid open for inspection.

(6) Any question arising under subsections (3) to (5) above between a sewerage undertaker and a person proposing to make a communication as to—

(a) the reasonableness of the undertaker’s refusal to permit a communication to be made; or

(b) as to the reasonableness of any requirement under subsection (5) above,

may, on the application of that person, be determined by a magistrates' court.

(7) Sections 300 to 302 of the [1936 c. 49.] Public Health Act 1936 (which relate to the determination of questions by courts of summary jurisdiction and to appeals against such determinations) shall apply for the purposes of and in relation to a determination on an application under subsection (6) above—

(a) as they apply for the purposes of and in relation to a determination by a magistrates' court under that Act; and

(b) in the case of section 302, as if the reference to a decision of a local authority included a reference to a decision of a sewerage undertaker.

(8) Where a person proposes under this section to make a communication between a drain or sewer and such a public sewer in Greater London as is used for the general reception of sewage from other public sewers and is not substantially used for the reception of sewage from private sewers and drains—

(a) the grounds on which a sewerage undertaker may refuse to permit the communication shall be such grounds as the undertaker thinks fit; and

(b) no application to a magistrates' court may be made under subsection (6) above in respect of any refusal under this subsection.

(9) In this section “factory” has the same meaning as in the [1961 c. 34.] Factories Act 1961.