The Water and Sewerage Undertakers (Exit from Non-household Retail Market) (Consequential Provision) Regulations 2021

EXPLANATORY NOTE

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

These Regulations re-apply provisions of the Water Industry Act 1991 (c. 56) to water and sewerage undertakers operating in retail exit areas. This is to address unintended consequences on water and sewerage companies of the disapplication of those provisions by the Water and Sewerage Undertakers (Exit from Non-household Retail Market) Regulations 2016 (S.I. 2016/744).

Regulation 2 reinstates duties on undertakers to provide connection services on request in retail exit areas. The connection services are the provision of water mains (section 41), connection to water mains (section 45) and the provision of public sewers or lateral drains (section 98).

It also makes consequential changes to sections 52 (domestic supply duty), 66A (use by water supply licensee of water undertaker’s supply system), 117A (use by sewerage licensee of undertaker’s system), 158 (powers to lay pipes in streets) and 159 (powers to lay pipes in other land) to ensure that there are no overlapping duties on retailers or undertakers.

An impact assessment has not been produced for this instrument as no, or no significant, impact on the private, voluntary or public sector is foreseen.