Chapter 1.Water Supply Licences and Sewerage Licences
Expansion of water supply licensing
Section 1: Types of water supply licence and arrangements with water undertakers
37.This section replaces the existing section 17A of the WIA with a provision on the issue of water supply licences. New section 17A allows Ofwat to issue water supply licences which give the holder certain rights with respect to the water supply system and provision of water supply services to eligible premises in undertakers’ areas in England and Wales. “Eligible premises” in these notes means premises that may be supplied under a retail or restricted retail authorisation as appropriate (see below).
38.Subsections (2) to (4) extend the concept of different authorisations for carrying out different activities under the water supply licence. The purposes of these authorisations are set out in paragraphs 1 to 8 of Schedule 2A, inserted by Schedule 1 to the Act – see below. The existing retail and supplementary authorisations are broadly retained for licensees using the supply system of an undertaker wholly or mainly in Wales, under the names “a restricted retail authorisation” and “a supplementary authorisation” respectively.
39.This section also introduces a new section 17AA into the WIA which outlines in subsections (1) and (2) the persons that Ofwat must consult before issuing licences with certain authorisations. The Government’s intention is that these consultees can then make an assessment of whether the applicant is a suitable person for inputting water into the public supply system. This includes an obligation to consult the Chief Inspector of Drinking Water, the Environment Agency and the Natural Resources Body for Wales. It also includes an obligation to consult the Welsh Ministers on the appointment of licensees whose authorisations allow them to introduce water into the supply systems of undertakers wholly or mainly in Wales.
40.Subsection (3) of new section 17AA excludes water undertakers from holding a water supply licence, which means they must set up a company for example, to apply for a water supply licence if they want to enter the market.
41.The effect of subsections (4) and (5) of new section 17AA is to allow only limited companies to hold a water supply licence with a wholesale or supplementary authorisation. This allows these licensees to be subject to the special administration regime under sections 23 to 25 of the WIA should they become insolvent or fail to meet their statutory obligations where their supplies are designated as strategic under sections 66G and 66H of the WIA. This would allow for the continuation of essential water services to customers if the limited company gets into difficulties (administration and by extension special administration is a mechanism for handling cases involving insolvent companies rather than bankrupt individuals, partnerships etc.).
42.This section also gives effect to Schedules 1 and 2. Schedule 5 separately enables the Welsh Ministers to commence the reformed regime in Wales.
Section 2: The supply system of a water undertaker
43.This section adds a new subsection (4A) to section 17B of WIA that extends the meaning of a water undertaker’s “supply system” for the purposes of activities under a water supply licence in the areas of water undertakers wholly or mainly in England. The current definition only covers the mains and pipes of a water undertaker downstream of a water treatment works (often called the “potable” supply system) and discrete non-potable supply systems. This is extended to cover treatment works, reservoirs and other water storage facilities. This means that a water supply licensee with a wholesale authorisation will have more options to introduce water for the purpose of supplying premises. The existing definition for the supply systems used by undertakers wholly or mainly in Wales is retained.
Section 3: The threshold requirement
44.Currently under section 17A(3)(b) of the WIA, licensees may only supply to premises whose water consumption exceeds the threshold requirement set out in section 17D. In order to allow non-household customers more generally to switch to water supply by a licensee, the UK Government would expect to repeal this threshold for premises within the areas of water undertakers that are wholly or mainly in England at the same time as the introduction of the new water supply licensing arrangements. This would be done by commencing section 1 and Schedule 1 to the Act which would bring new Schedule 2A to the WIA into force. Section 1 substitutes all of section 17A and, under paragraph 7(b) of inserted Schedule 2A, only water supply licensees holding restricted retail authorisations (that is, those using the networks of water undertakers based wholly or mainly in Wales) would remain subject to the threshold requirement.
45.This would remain the case unless and until the new licensing arrangements were fully commenced in Wales, or paragraph 7(b) was otherwise repealed.
46.Under section 3, the power to repeal the threshold could also be exercised before the introduction of the new licensing arrangements by repealing section 17A(3)(b) of the WIA. This power would lie with the Secretary of State for premises in undertaker areas wholly or mainly in England and the Welsh Ministers in undertaker areas that are wholly or mainly in Wales. If section 17A(3)(b) was repealed in relation to undertakers wholly or mainly in Wales, paragraph 7(b) of Schedule 2A would also be repealed, thereby preventing it from ever coming into force.
Introduction of sewerage licences
Section 4: Types of sewerage licence and arrangements with sewerage undertakers
47.This section inserts a new section 17BA into the WIA introducing sewerage licences. Under this section Ofwat can issue sewerage licences which give the holder certain rights with respect to the sewerage system and provision of sewerage services to eligible premises in the areas of sewerage undertakers wholly or mainly in England.
48.Subsection (2) lists the different authorisations for carrying out different activities under the sewerage licence. The purposes of these authorisations are set out in paragraphs 1 to 7 of new Schedule 2B to the WIA (Schedule 3 to the Act).
49.Subsection (7) of new section 17BA defines the sewerage system of a sewerage undertaker as the system of public sewers, the facilities for emptying them and dealing with their contents, and the lateral drains they must maintain, under the duty of a sewerage undertaker to provide a sewerage system to ensure its area is effectually drained – that is set out in section 94 of the WIA.
50.This section also inserts a new section 17BB into the WIA. Subsection (1) requires Ofwat to consult the Secretary of State, the Environment Agency and the Natural Resources Body for Wales before granting a sewerage licence with a wholesale authorisation or a disposal authorisation. The Government’s intention is that consultees are given an opportunity to assess the suitability of the applicant to use the public sewer system.
51.Subsection (2) of new section 17BB excludes sewerage undertakers from holding a sewerage licence if it contains a retail authorisation or a wholesale authorisation, which means they must set up a company, for example, if they want to enter the retail or wholesale markets. Sewerage undertakers are, however, permitted to hold licences with disposal authorisations in order to encourage more trading of wastewater and sewage sludge between sewerage undertakers’ areas.
52.The effect of subsections (3) and (4) of new section 17BB is to allow only limited companies to hold a sewerage licence with a wholesale or disposal authorisation. This allows these licensees to be subject to the special administration regime under sections 23 to 25 of the WIA should they become insolvent or fail to meet their statutory obligations where their services are designated as strategic under new sections 117N and 117O of the WIA (included within Schedule 4 to the Act). This would allow for the continuation of essential sewerage services to customers if the limited company gets into difficulties (administration and by extension special administration is a mechanism for handling cases involving insolvent companies rather than bankrupt individuals, partnerships etc.).
53.This section also gives effect to Schedules 3 and 4.
Application as regards Wales
Section 5: Water supply and sewerage licensing changes applied as regards Wales
54.This section would apply the new water supply and sewerage licensing arrangements to the areas of undertakers wholly or mainly in Wales as they apply to undertaker areas wholly or mainly in England. The Welsh Ministers have the power to bring Schedule 5 into force. Under paragraph 2 of Schedule 12 the Welsh Ministers can only exercise their power through an order under the affirmative procedure before the National Assembly for Wales. The amendments in Schedule 5 amend or repeal words of the WIA, as amended by other provisions in this Act, that prevent the new water supply authorisations and the new sewerage licences from applying to undertaker areas wholly or mainly in Wales.
Licensing arrangements between England and Wales and Scotland
Section 6: Arrangements with the Water Industry Commission for Scotland
55.This section inserts a new section 17FA into the WIA which allows the Secretary of State to make regulations that would allow for an application to the Water Industry Commission for Scotland (WICS) for a water services licence or sewerage services licence to be also treated as an application for a water supply licence or sewerage licence respectively in England and Wales. Such licences would only include retail or restricted retail authorisations as there are no provisions in Scottish law that would licence activities similar to those allowed for in the wholesale, supplementary or disposal authorisations applicable in England and Wales.
56.This section also inserts a new section 17FB into the WIA which requires Ofwat to forward applications for water supply or sewerage licences and associated information to WICS, subject to the requirements set out in subsection (2).
57.The intention behind the section is to assist in the development of a market across England and Scotland in relation to water supply and sewerage retail services for non-household customers and in Wales for eligible water supply customers.
Section 7: Arrangements with the Water Services Regulation Authority
58.This section amends the Water Services etc. (Scotland) Act 2005 (the 2005 Act) to introduce into Scots Law equivalent provisions to those under section 6.
59.This section inserts a new paragraph 1A into Schedule 2 to the 2005 Act which allows the Scottish Ministers to introduce, by order, provisions that would allow for an application to Ofwat for a water supply or sewerage licence to be also treated as an application for a water services or sewerage licences respectively in Scotland.
60.This section also inserts a new paragraph 1B into Schedule 2 to the 2005 Act which requires WICS to forward applications for water services or sewerage services licences, and associated information to Ofwat, subject to the requirements set out in sub-paragraph (2).
