Water Resources Act 1963

14 Periodical surveys

(1) It shall be the duty of each river authority, as soon as practicable after the second appointed day.—

(a) to carry out a survey of the water resources of their area, and of the existing demand, on the part of statutory water undertakers and other persons, for the supply of water from those resources, and to prepare a report setting out the results of the survey ;

(b) to prepare an estimate of the future demand, on the part of statutory water undertakers and other persons, for the supply of water from those resources during the period of twenty years from the date on which the survey is completed or such longer or shorter period from that date as the Water Resources Board may in any particular case direct; and

(c) to formulate proposals as to action to be taken by the river authority (whether by way of executing works or securing the execution of works by other persons or otherwise) for any of the purposes mentioned in section 4 of this Act, including action for giving effect to any notice or advice given to them by the Water Resources Board under section 12 of this Act.

(2) Each river authority shall keep under review the particulars contained in any report or estimate prepared by them, and any proposals formulated by them, in accordance with the preceding subsection, and shall in accordance with the next following subsection from time to time revise all such particulars and proposals, ether by way of amendment or by carrying out a new survey and preparing a new report, preparing a new estimate, or formulating new proposals, as the authority may consider appropriate having regard to changes which have occurred since the previous survey or (as the case may be) the revision last effected by them under this subsection.

(3) A river authority shall carry out revisions in pursuance of the last preceding subsection at intervals of not more than seven years, and, subject to that requirement, at such times as they consider appropriate, having particular regard to the times at which like revisions are proposed to be carried out by other river authorities.

(4) The reference in section 4 of this Act to action which a river authority consider necessary or expedient as therein mentioned shall be taken to include action in accordance with any proposals of the authority (whether as originally formulated or as subsequently revised) in pursuance of this section.

(5) In the performance of their functions under this section a river authority shall consult the Water Resources Board; and every river authority—

(a) shall send to the Ministers, to the Water Resources Board and to the council of every county or county borough any part of which is comprised in the river authority area a copy of any report prepared by them in consequence of a survey under this section, and of any amendments made by them in any such report, and

(b) shall furnish the Board with such other information as the Board may reasonably require with respect to anything done by the authority in pursuance of this section.