Water (Scotland) Act 1980

PART IX General and Miscellaneous

Notice of discontinuance.

40 A consumer who wishes the supply of water to his premises to be discontinued shall give not less than 24 hours' notice to the undertakers.

Duty of undertakers to give notice of certain works.

41 The undertakers before commencing to execute repairs or other work which will cause any material interference with the supply of water shall, except in a case of emergency, give to all consumers likely to be affected such notice as is reasonably practicable and shall complete the work with all reasonable dispatch.

Penalty for obstructing execution of special Act.

42 A person who wilfully obstructs any person acting in the execution of the special Act or of any byelaw or warrant made or issued thereunder shall be liable to a fine not exceeding £25 and to a further fine not exceeding £25 for each day on which the offence continues after conviction therefor.

Proceedings for offences.

43 (1) Save as otherwise expressly provided, all offences and fines under the special Act or any byelaws made thereunder may be prosecuted and recovered under the [1975 c. 21.] Criminal Procedure (Scotland) Act 1975.

(2) Any offence under the special Act or under any byelaws made thereunder (other than an offence in respect of which, if it is continued, a further penalty may be imposed) for which the maximum penalty that may be imposed does not exceed £25 may be prosecuted in any court of summary jurisdiction within the meaning of the Criminal Procedure (Scotland) Act 1975, having jurisdiction in the place where the offence was committed.

Liability of undertakers to pay compensation.

44 In any case where no express provision with respect to compensation is made by the special Act, the undertakers shall pay to the owners and occupiers of, and all other persons interested in, any lands or streams taken or used for the purposes of that Act, or injuriously affected by the construction or maintenance of the works thereby authorised or otherwise by the execution of the powers thereby conferred, compensation for the value of the lands or streams so taken or used and for all damage sustained by those owners, occupiers and other persons by reason of the exercise as to those lands and streams of the powers conferred on the undertakers by the special Act or any Act incorporated therewith.

The amount of such compensation shall, in case of dispute, be settled in manner provided by the Lands Clauses Acts with reference to the taking of lands otherwise than by agreement.

Protection for works of navigation authorities and for railways.

45 (1) Subject to the provisions of this section and to any provisions of the special Act empowering the undertakers to execute works specified therein, nothing in the special Act shall authorise the undertakers without the consent of the navigation authority concerned—

(a) to interfere with any river, canal, dock, harbour, basin, lock or reservoir so as injuriously to affect navigation thereon or the use thereof or the access thereto, or to interfere with any towing path so as to interrupt the traffic thereon;

(b) to interfere with any bridge crossing any river, canal, dock, harbour or basin;

(c) to execute any works in, across or under any dock, harbour, basin, wharf, quay or lock, or any land which belongs to a navigation authority and is held or used by them for the purposes of their undertaking ;

(d) to execute any works which will interfere with the improvement of or the access to any river, canal, dock, harbour, basin, lock, reservoir, or towing path or with any works pertaining thereto or any land necessary for the enjoyment or improvement thereof ;

or, without the consent of the railway company concerned, to execute any works along, across or under any railway of a railway company:

Provided that consent under this section shall not be unreasonably withheld, and any question as to whether or not consent is unreasonably withheld shall be determined by arbitration.

(2) Upon an arbitration under this section, the arbiter shall determine—

(i) whether any works which the undertakers propose to execute are such works as under the last foregoing subsection they are not entitled to execute without consent; and

(ii) if they are such works, whether the injury, if any, to the navigation authority or railway company will be of such a nature as to admit of being fully compensated by money; and

(iii) if the works are of such a nature, the conditions, including conditions of a financial character with respect to the payment of compensation, future liabilities and otherwise, subject to which—

(a) the navigation authority or railway company shall, if they so elect, carry out the works on behalf of the undertakers ; or

(b) in default of such election, the undertakers may themselves carry out the works.

If the arbiter should determine that the proposed works are such works as the undertakers are not entitled to execute without consent and that the works would cause injury to the navigation authority or railway company of such a nature as not to admit of being fully compensated by money, the undertakers shall not proceed to execute the works, but in any other case they may execute the works, subject to compliance with such conditions, including the payment of such compensation, as the arbiter may have determined.

(3) For the purposes of this section, a navigation authority shall be deemed to be concerned with any river, canal, dock, harbour, basin, lock, reservoir, towing path, wharf, quay or land if it belongs to them and forms part of their undertaking or if they have statutory rights of navigating on or using it or of demanding tolls or dues in respect of navigation thereon or the use thereof.

(4) Nothing in this section shall be construed as limiting the powers of the undertakers under the special Act in respect of the opening and breaking up of streets and bridges.

Copies of special Act to be deposited.

46 The undertakers shall, at all times after the expiration of six months from the date on which the special Act was passed or made, keep at their principal office a copy thereof printed by the Queen's printer, and shall also within the said six months deposit such a copy with the sheriff clerk of every sheriff court district and with the clerk of the local authority of every district within which they supply, or propose to supply, water or have or propose to construct any waterworks.