Water Act 1989

1 (1) Subject to the following provisions of this paragraph, where—

(a) any water undertaker or sewerage undertaker has fixed any charges in relation to any premises by reference to volume or has given notice of its intention of so fixing any charges within the period specified in the notice; and

(b) there is either—

(i) a service pipe which is connected with a water undertaker’s water main and by which a supply of water is or could be provided to those premises or to any building in which those premises are contained; or

(ii) a drain or private sewer which connects those premises with a public sewer,

the water undertaker or, as the case may be, the sewerage undertaker shall have power to carry out any works specified in sub-paragraph (3) below; and any person designated in writing for the purpose by the undertaker may enter those premises, or any land occupied with those premises, for any of the purposes specified in sub-paragraph (4) below.

(2) The power under sub-paragraph (1) to carry out works specified in sub-paragraph (3) below shall include power to carry out such works in a street; and the power conferred by virtue of sub-paragraph (1)(d) of paragraph 2 of Schedule 19 to this Act and sub-paragraphs (4) to (6), (8) and (9) of that paragraph and paragraph 3 of that Schedule shall apply in relation to the power conferred by this sub-paragraph as they apply in relation to the powers conferred by the said paragraph 2.

(3) The works mentioned in sub-paragraphs (1) and (2) above are, in relation to any premises—

(a) works consisting in the installation and connection of any meter for use in determining the amount of any charges which have been or may be fixed in relation to the premises;

(b) where the premises comprise a house which is one of two or more houses to which the supply of water is wholly or partly by the same service pipe, works consisting in the installation and connection, for any purpose connected with the installation or connection of such a meter, of a separate service pipe for that house;

(c) works for the purpose of maintaining, repairing, disconnecting or removing—

(i) any meter which has been installed for use in determining the amount of any charges which have been or may be fixed in relation to the premises; or

(ii) any pipes or apparatus installed in the course of any works specified in this paragraph;

and

(d) any other works appearing to the undertaker to be necessary or expedient for any purpose connected with the carrying out of any works specified in paragraph (a), (b) or (c) above, including the installation and connection of any pipes or other apparatus on the premises and the alteration or removal of any of the plumbing of the premises.

(4) The purposes mentioned in sub-paragraph (1) above are—

(a) the carrying out of any survey or tests for the purpose of determining—

(i) whether the carrying out of any works by virtue of paragraph (a) or (b) of sub-paragraph (3) above is practicable;

(ii) whether it is necessary or expedient for any purpose connected with the carrying out of any works by virtue of either of those paragraphs for any other works to be carried out; or

(iii) how any works specified in that sub-paragraph should be carried out;

(b) the carrying out of any works so specified;

(c) the inspection, examination or testing of any meter which is on those premises or of any pipes or apparatus installed in the course of any works which were carried out for any purpose that is connected with the installation, connection, testing, maintenance or repair of any such meter;

(d) the ascertainment from any meter of the volume of water supplied to, or of effluent discharged from, those premises.

(5) A notice given for the purposes of sub-paragraph (1)(a) above may relate to particular premises or to any description of premises and shall be given—

(a) by publishing the notice in the locality in which the premises to which it relates are situated in such a manner as the undertaker considers appropriate for bringing it to the attention of the persons likely to be affected by it; and

(b) by serving a copy of the notice on the Secretary of State.

(6) Without prejudice to any power exercisable by virtue of a warrant under section 178 of this Act, no person shall make an entry into any premises by virtue of this paragraph except at a reasonable time and after seven days' notice of the intended entry has been given to the occupier of the premises.

(7) Any works carried out by a water undertaker by virtue of the provisions of this paragraph shall be necessary works for the purposes of sections 45 to 51 of this Act; but nothing in this paragraph shall prevent the exercise by a water undertaker of its power by virtue of subsection (3)(b) of section 50 of this Act to impose a condition under subsection (1)(c) or (d) of section 43 of this Act in a case where it has, under the said section 50, required the provision of a separate service pipe to any premises.