Search Legislation

Water Act 2014

Arrangements for water undertakers to take water
Section 12: Arrangements for water undertakers to take water from other persons

106.This section inserts Chapter 2B into Part 3 of the WIA. New section 66M provides the Secretary of State and the Welsh Ministers with powers to make regulations that would set in place provisions that confer functions on themselves and disallow Ofwat and the CMA from using powers in the Competition Act 1998 in respect to water supply agreements between undertakers and other persons.

107.Section 66N provides that the regulations may allow Ofwat to require a water undertaker to take a water supply from a relevant person and to require such a water supply agreement to be varied or terminated. The regulations must include provisions permitting Ofwat to make an order imposing, varying or terminating a water supply agreement only on an application by one of the parties and where they are unable to come to an agreement. The regulations may also require Ofwat to consult the appropriate environmental agency before imposing, varying or terminating a water supply agreement. The regulations may also include provisions outlining other circumstances when Ofwat may make an order.

108.Section 66O enables the regulations to provide Ofwat with powers to issue enforceable codes and charging rules to regulate water supply agreements and provide the Secretary of State or the Welsh Ministers with powers to issue guidance on the content of Ofwat’s charging rules. The regulations may also make consequential changes to legislation.

109.New section 66P sets out the procedures the Secretary of State and the Welsh Ministers must follow when producing the regulations, including the bodies that they must consult before laying the draft regulations before Parliament or the Assembly.

Back to top

Options/Help

Print Options

Close

Explanatory Notes

Text created by the government department responsible for the subject matter of the Act to explain what the Act sets out to achieve and to make the Act accessible to readers who are not legally qualified. Explanatory Notes were introduced in 1999 and accompany all Public Acts except Appropriation, Consolidated Fund, Finance and Consolidation Acts.

Close

More Resources

Access essential accompanying documents and information for this legislation item from this tab. Dependent on the legislation item being viewed this may include:

  • the original print PDF of the as enacted version that was used for the print copy
  • lists of changes made by and/or affecting this legislation item
  • confers power and blanket amendment details
  • all formats of all associated documents
  • correction slips
  • links to related legislation and further information resources
Close

Impact Assessments

Impact Assessments generally accompany all UK Government interventions of a regulatory nature that affect the private sector, civil society organisations and public services. They apply regardless of whether the regulation originates from a domestic or international source and can accompany primary (Acts etc) and secondary legislation (SIs). An Impact Assessment allows those with an interest in the policy area to understand:

  • Why the government is proposing to intervene;
  • The main options the government is considering, and which one is preferred;
  • How and to what extent new policies may impact on them; and,
  • The estimated costs and benefits of proposed measures.