Water Act 1989

78 Provisions relating to charging by volume

(1) Schedule 10 to this Act shall have effect for the purpose of securing the installation of meters and of making other provision in relation to meters and the premises where they are installed.

(2) The Secretary of State may by regulations make such provision, supplementing the provisions of this Chapter, as he considers appropriate with respect to the installation of meters, with respect to the connection, disconnection, use, maintenance, authentication and testing of meters and with respect to any related matters.

(3) Without prejudice to the generality of subsection (2) above, regulations under that subsection may—

(a) regulate the positioning, whether inside or outside the building or other premises in relation to which the meter is to be used, of any meter or of any pipes or apparatus appearing to any water undertaker or sewerage undertaker to be required for the purpose of facilitating the use of any meter;

(b) make any other provision which appears to the Secretary of State to be appropriate with respect to any such pipes or apparatus;

(c) provide for a reading from a meter to be proved in such manner as may be prescribed and for a reading from a meter to be such evidence as may be prescribed of the volume of water supplied to, or of effluent discharged from, any premises;

(d) fix the method of determining the amount of the charges to be paid where it appears that a meter has given, or may have given, an incorrect reading;

(e) require a person who is not a water undertaker or sewerage undertaker to pay the expenses incurred by a water undertaker or sewerage undertaker in doing anything under the regulations or to pay contributions towards those expenses;

(f) provide for the payment of compensation in respect of anything done by a water undertaker or sewerage undertaker under the regulations;

(g) require disputes arising under the regulations to be referred to arbitration;

(h) repeal or amend any local statutory provision.

(4) In this section “meter” means any apparatus for measuring or showing the volume of water supplied to, or of effluent discharged from, any premises.