Gas Act 1965

5 (1) Where the persons entitled to exercise the right are statutory water undertakers or a river authority, the gas authority shall, if the statutory water undertakers or the river authority provide an alternative supply of water, pay to them the costs reasonably incurred by them in doing so:

Provided that the gas authority shall not be liable for those costs if and so far as they are attributable to the supply so provided being superior in quantity or quality to the supply which was being, or might have been, obtained in exercise of the protected right.

(2) Where the persons entitled to exercise the protected right are not statutory water undertakers or a river authority, the gas authority shall, at the request of those persons, and if it is reasonably practicable and economical so to do, provide without charge an alternative supply of water which is in quantity and quality equivalent to the supply which was being, or might have been, obtained in exercise of the protected right.

(3) In assessing compensation under the Lands Clauses Acts for injurious affection of any interest in land held with the land purchased, or the land in which the rights purchased are exercisable, account shall be taken of any mitigation of that injurious affection attributable to the provision of the alternative supply of water ; and the foregoing provisions of this paragraph shall be in lieu of compensation for the value of any interest in land so far as that value is attributable to the use of the land for the construction and use of the well, borehole or shaft.

(4) Compensation payable under the Lands Clauses Acts (whether under section 63 or section 68 of the [1845 c. 18.] Lands Clauses Consolidation Act 1845) for injurious affection sustained by the persons entitled to the supply of water shall include—

(a) compensation for any loss or damage suffered by them in the period before effective action is taken under this paragraph, and

(b) where the charges and fees payable under Part V of the [1963 c. 38.] Water Resources Act 1963 in respect of an alternative supply of water to which the foregoing provisions of this paragraph relate exceed the charges and fees so payable in respect of the protected right (or where charges and fees are so payable in respect of an alternative supply of water but no charges or fees were so payable in respect of the protected right), a lump sum by way of compensation for the additional burden thereby imposed on the persons entitled to the protected right.