Water Act 1989

161 Duty to move pipes etc. in certain cases

(1) Where any relevant pipe or other apparatus is for the time being kept installed by a water undertaker or sewerage undertaker on, under or over any land, any person with an interest in that land or in adjacent land may by notice to the undertaker require the undertaker to alter or remove that pipe or apparatus on the ground that the alteration or removal of that pipe or apparatus is necessary to enable that person to carry out a proposed improvement of the land in which he has an interest.

(2) Subject to subsections (3) and (4) below, where a notice is served on a water undertaker or sewerage undertaker under subsection (1) above, it shall be the duty of the undertaker to comply with the requirement contained in the notice except to the extent that that requirement is unreasonable.

(3) Nothing in this section shall require a water undertaker or sewerage undertaker to alter or remove any pipe or apparatus which is kept installed in, under or over any street.

(4) A water undertaker or sewerage undertaker may make it a condition of complying with the duty to which it is subject by virtue of a notice served by any person under subsection (1) above that such security as the undertaker may reasonably require has been provided for the discharge of any obligation of that person under subsection (5) below.

(5) Where a water undertaker or sewerage undertaker carries out any works under this section by virtue of a notice having been served by any person under subsection (1) above, the undertaker shall be entitled to recover any expenses reasonably incurred in carrying out those works from that person.

(6) Where any sums have been deposited with a water undertaker or sewerage undertaker by way of security for the discharge of any obligation under subsection (5) above, the undertaker shall pay interest at such rate as may be determined either—

(a) by the undertaker with the approval of the Director; or

(b) in default of a determination under paragraph (a) above, by the Director,

on every sum of 50p so deposited for every three months during which it remains in the hands of the undertaker.

(7) An approval or determination by the Director for the purposes of subsection (6) above may be given or made in relation to a particular case or description of cases or generally and may be revoked at any time.

(8) The duty of a water undertaker or sewerage undertaker under this section shall be enforceable under section 20 above by the Director.

(9) In this section—

• “improvement”, in relation to any land, includes any development or change of use but does not include an improvement with respect to the supply of water or the provision of sewerage services to any premises; and

• “relevant pipe” has the same meaning as in Schedule 19 to this Act.