Water Act 1989

55 Provision of water where piped supplies insufficient or unwholesome

(1) Where—

(a) it is not practicable at reasonable cost for a water undertaker, by supplying water in pipes, to provide or maintain such a supply of wholesome water to any particular premises in its area as (so far as those premises are concerned) is sufficient for domestic purposes;

(b) it is practicable at reasonable cost for the undertaker to provide such a supply to those premises otherwise than in pipes;

(c) the insufficiency or unwholesomeness of the supply of water for domestic purposes to those premises is such as to cause a danger to life or health; and

(d) the local authority in whose area those premises are situated notify the undertaker of that danger and require the undertaker to provide a supply otherwise than in pipes,

it shall be the duty of the undertaker, for such period as may be required by that local authority, to provide any supply to those premises which it is practicable at reasonable cost to provide otherwise than in pipes and which it is required to provide by that authority.

(2) Where under subsection (1) above a local authority require the provision by a water undertaker of a supply of water to any premises, that authority—

(a) shall be liable to the undertaker for any charges payable by virtue of Chapter IV of this Part in respect of the provision of that supply; but

(b) shall have power to recover the whole or any part of any charges paid by virtue of this subsection from the owner or occupier of the premises to which the supply is provided.

(3) In this section references to the provision of a supply of water to any premises otherwise than in pipes shall have effect, in a case in which it is practicable at reasonable cost to provide a supply (whether or not in pipes) to a place within a reasonable distance of those premises, as including references to the provision of a supply to that place.

(4) The duty of a water undertaker under subsection (1) above shall be enforceable under section 20 above by the Secretary of State.