1998 No. 3084
AGRICULTURE
WATER RESOURCES, ENGLAND AND WALES

The Water (Prevention of Pollution) (Code of Practice) Order 1998

Made
Coming into force
The Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and the Secretary of State for Wales (“the Ministers”), acting jointly, in exercise of the powers conferred by section 97(1) of the Water Resources Act 19911, after consultation in accordance with section 97(3)2 of the said Act with the Environment Agency, hereby make the following Order:–

1.

This Order may be cited as the Water (Prevention of Pollution) (Code of Practice) Order 1998 and shall come into force on 22nd January 1999.

2.

The Ministers approve the Code of Good Agricultural Practice for the Protection of Water dated October 1998, also known as “The Water Code Revised 1998” (including an erratum slip dated November 1998)3, which was issued by them and a copy of which was deposited in each House of Parliament on 2nd December 1998–

(a)

to give practical guidance to persons engaged in agriculture with respect to activities that may affect controlled waters4; and

(b)

to promote what appear to them to be desirable practices by such persons for avoiding or minimising the pollution of any such waters.

3.

The Water (Prevention of Pollution) (Code of Practice) Order 19915 is revoked.
Elliot Morley
Parliamentary Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food

Signed by authority of the Secretary of State for Wales

Jon Owen Jones
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Welsh Office
(This note is not part of the Order)

This Order approves the Code of Good Agricultural Practice for the Protection of Water, also known as “The Water Code Revised 1998” issued by the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and the Secretary of State for Wales in October 1998 (and including an erratum slip dated November 1998). The Code replaces the corresponding Code issued in 1991 and the order approving that Code is revoked.

The Code gives practical guidance to persons engaged in agriculture with respect to activities that may cause water pollution and seeks to promote desirable practices by such persons in this field.

The Environment Agency is required, by section 97(2) of the Water Resources Act 1991 (as amended by the Environment Act 1995), to take into account whether there has been or is likely to be any contravention of an approved code of practice in determining when and how to exercise–

(a)

its powers by giving a notice under section 86(1) of the 1991 Act to impose a prohibition under that section; and

(b)

any powers which may be conferred on it by regulations under section 92 of the 1991 Act.

Copies of the Code may be obtained free of charge from MAFF Publications, London SE99 7 TP, or Welsh Office Agriculture Department, Crown offices, Cathays Park, Cardiff CF1 3NQ.