Water Act 1989

59 Incidental powers of local authorities

(1) Subject to subsection (4) below, a local authority may serve on any person a notice requiring him to furnish that authority, within a period or at times specified in the notice and in a form and manner so specified, with such information as is reasonably required by that authority for the purpose of exercising or performing any power or duty conferred or imposed on that authority by or under any of sections 56 to 58 above.

(2) Any person designated in writing for the purpose by any local authority may—

(a) enter any premises for the purpose, in relation to any private supply, of—

(i) determining whether, and if so in what manner, any power or duty conferred or imposed on that authority by or under any of sections 56 to 58 above should be exercised or performed; or

(ii) exercising any such power or performing any such duty;

(b) enter any premises to which a supply of water is provided by a water undertaker for the purpose, in relation to a supply so provided, of determining whether, and if so in what manner, such a power should be exercised or such a duty performed or of exercising such a power or performing such a duty; or

(c) carry out such inspections, measurements and tests on premises entered by that person or of articles found on any such premises, and take away such samples of water or of any land or articles, as the local authority—

(i) consider appropriate for the purposes of any such power or duty; and

(ii) have authorised that person to carry out or take away.

(3) Without prejudice to any power exercisable by virtue of a warrant under section 178 below, no person shall make an entry into any premises by virtue of this section except—

(a) in an emergency; or

(b) at a reasonable time and after twenty-four hours' notice of the intended entry has been given to the occupier of the premises.

(4) The Secretary of State may by regulations make provision for restricting the information which may be required under subsection (1) above and for determining the form in which the information is to be so required.

(5) A person who fails without reasonable excuse to comply with the requirements of a notice served on him under subsection (1) above shall be guilty of an offence and liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding level 5 on the standard scale.