The Secretary of State may by notice require a water authority or water development board to make byelaws under section 70 or 71 in relation to such matters as he may specify, and, in the case of byelaws made under section 71, he shall specify the area for which the byelaws are to be made, and if the authority or board do not within three months after such requirement make in relation to the matters specified byelaws satisfactory to him, the Secretary of State may himself make byelaws with respect to those matters.

If, after they have been in operation for a period of not less than three years, the Secretary of State considers unsatisfactory any byelaws made by an authority or board under section 70 or 71 or any byelaws or regulations made by an authority or board under any other enactment conferring power to make byelaws or regulations for purposes similar to the purposes for which byelaws may be made under either of the said sections, he may by notice require the authority or board to revoke those byelaws or regulations and to make such new byelaws under section 70 or 71 as he considers necessary; and if the authority or board do not within three months after such requirement comply therewith, the Secretary of State may himself revoke the byelaws or regulations and make such new byelaws under section 70 or 71 as he considers necessary.

Any byelaws made by the Secretary of State under this section shall have effect as if they had been made by the authority or board concerned and confirmed by the Secretary of State.