In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires, the following expressions have the following meanings respectively, that is to say—

• " the appropriate Minister or Ministers " and " the Ministers " have the meanings assigned to them by section 1 above;

• " the Council " means the National Water Council;

• " county ", " district ", " county council ", and " district council ", mean respectively a county, district, county council and district council established by the 1972 Act;

• " development corporation " means a development corporation established under the [1965 c. 59.] New Towns Act 1965 or any Act replaced by that Act;

• " existing local authority " means a local authority within the meaning of the [1933 c. 51.] Local Government Act 1933;

• " joint water board " and " joint water committee " mean respectively a joint board and a joint committee which has been constituted under section 9 of the [1945 c. 42.] Water Act 1945 and on which a statutory water company is represented;

• " land drainage " includes defence against water (including sea waiter), irrigation other than spray irrigation, warping and the provision of flood warning systems, and "land drainage functions" shall be construed accordingly;

• " local authority " means a county council, the Greater London Council, a district council, a London borough council or the Common Council of the City of London;

• " local land drainage committee " and " regional land drainage committee " mean respectively the committees established by those names under Schedule 8 to this Act;

• " local land drainage district " means a local land drainage district established under that Schedule and any part of a water authority area which is to be treated as a local land drainage district for the purposes of Parts II and III of that Schedule;

• " local statutory provision " means a provision of a local Act (including an Act confirming a provisional order) or a provision of a public general Act passed with respect to some area or a provision of an instrument made under any such local or public general Act or of an instrument in the nature of a local enactment made under any other Act;

• " London excluded area " means so much of Greater London, and of any area adjoining Greater London, as—

  1. a

     in relation to a time before 1st April 1974, does not at that time lie within the Thames catchment area, the Lee catchment area or the area of any river authority;

  2. b

     in relation to a time after 31st March 1974, does not at that time lie, for the purpose of the exercise of land drainage functions, within the area of any water authority;

• " the 1972 Act " means the [1972 c. 70.] Local Government Act 1972;

• " public authority " includes a statutory water company;

• " public sewer " has the same meaning as in the [1936 c. 49.] Public Health Act 1936 and "private sewer" shall be construed accordingly;

• " regional water board " and " water development board " have the same meanings respectively as in the [1967 c. 78.] Water (Scotland) Act 1967;

• " river authority " underground strata ", " inland water ", " watercourse " and " water resources " have the same meanings respectively as in the [1963 c. 38.] Water Resources Act 1963;

• " statutory water company " means a company authorised immediately before the passing of this Act by any local statutory provision to supply water or a company in whom the assets of any company so authorised have subsequently become vested;

• " statutory water undertakers " has the meaning assigned to it by section 11(6) above ;

• " supply of water in bulk " and " water fittings " have the same meanings as in the [1945 c. 42.] Water Act 1945;

Section 269 of the 1972 Act (which relates to the meaning of " England" and " Wales " in Acts passed after 1st April 1974) shall apply to this Act as if this Act had been passed after that date.

Except in so far as the context otherwise requires, any reference in this Act to an enactment shall be construed as a reference to that enactment as amended, applied or extended by or under any other enactment, including this Act.