Water Industry Act 1991

44 Determination of completion date and route for requisitioned main

(1) A water undertaker shall not be in breach of a duty imposed by section 41 above in relation to any locality unless–

(a) the period of three months beginning with the relevant day has expired; and

(b) the water undertaker has not, before the end of that period, so laid the water main to be provided as to enable service pipes to premises in that locality to connect with the main at the places determined under subsection (3) below.

(2) The period mentioned in subsection (1)(a) above may be extended in any case—

(a) by agreement between the water undertaker and the person or persons who required the provision of the main; or

(b) where there is a dispute as to whether the period should be extended, by an arbitrator on a reference under subsection (4) below.

(3) The places mentioned in subsection (1)(b) above shall be—

(a) such places as are determined by agreement between the water undertaker and the person or persons who required the provision of the water main; or

(b) in default of agreement, such places as are determined by an arbitrator, on a reference under subsection (4) below, to be the places at which it is reasonable, in all the circumstances, for service pipes to premises in the locality in question to connect with the water main.

(4) A reference for the purposes of subsection (2) or (3) above shall be to a single arbitrator appointed—

(a) by agreement between the undertaker and the person or persons who required the provision of the water main; or

(b) in default of agreement, by the President of the Institution of Civil Engineers.

(5) In this section “relevant day”, in relation to a requirement to provide a water main for any locality, means the day after whichever is the later of the following, that is to say—

(a) the day on which the conditions specified in section 42 above are satisfied in relation to the requirement; and

(b) the day on which the places where service pipes to premises in that locality will connect with the main are determined under subsection (3) above.