Water Industry Act 1991

Valid from 01/04/2004

[F1 66A Wholesale water supply by primary water undertaker E+W

(1) This section applies where—

(a) a licensed water supplier requests its primary water undertaker to provide it with a supply of water for the purpose of supplying water to the premises of its customers in accordance with the retail authorisation; and

(b) the premises are in the area of the undertaker.

(2) Where this section applies, it shall be the duty of the primary water undertaker, in accordance with an agreement or determination for such period and containing such terms and conditions as may be provided for under section 66D(2) below—

(a) to take any such steps—

(i) for the purpose of connecting the premises in question with the undertaker’s supply system; or

(ii) in respect of that system,

as may be so provided for in order to enable the undertaker to provide the requested supply; and

(b) having taken any such steps, to provide that supply.

(3) A primary water undertaker shall not be required by virtue of this section to provide a supply of water to a licensed water supplier, or to take any steps to enable it to provide such a supply, if—

(a) both of the first and second conditions are satisfied; or

(b) the third condition is satisfied.

(4) The first condition is that—

(a) the premises to be supplied by the supplier do not consist in the whole or any part of a building; or

(b) the supply to be made by it to those premises is for purposes other than domestic purposes.

(5) The second condition is that the provision of the supply by the undertaker would—

(a) require the undertaker, in order to meet all its existing obligations to supply water for domestic or other purposes, together with its probable future obligations to supply buildings and parts of buildings with water for domestic purposes, to incur unreasonable expenditure in carrying out works; or

(b) otherwise put at risk its ability to meet any of the existing or probable future obligations mentioned in paragraph (a) above.

(6) The third condition is that there is a contravention in relation to the water fittings used or to be used in connection with—

(a) the supply of water to the premises to be supplied by the supplier; or

(b) the use of water in those premises,

of such of the requirements of regulations under section 74 below as are prescribed for the purposes of this subsection.

(7) Where—

(a) a request has been made by a licensed water supplier to its primary water undertaker for the purposes of subsection (1) above; and

(b) the steps which the undertaker is required to take by virtue of that request include steps for the purpose of obtaining any necessary authority for, or agreement to, any exercise by it of any of its powers or the carrying out by it of any works,

the failure of the undertaker to acquire the necessary authority or agreement shall not affect any liability of the licensed water supplier, under any term or condition in accordance with which those steps are taken, to reimburse the undertaker in respect of some or all of the expenses incurred by it in taking those steps.

(8) A water undertaker is the primary water undertaker of a licensed water supplier for the purposes of this section and section 66C below if the undertaker’s supply system is to be used for the purpose of making the supply to premises mentioned in those sections.

(9) In this section and sections 66B and 66C below—

(a) any reference to the supply system of a water undertaker shall be construed in accordance with section 17B(5) above; and

(b) any reference to the retail authorisation shall be construed in accordance with section 17A(2) above.]

Textual Amendments

F1 Pt. 3 Ch. 2A inserted (1.4.2004 for specified provisions and purposes and 1.12.2005 otherwise) by Water Act 2003 (c. 37), ss. 56, 105(3), Sch. 4 para. 3; S.I. 2004/641, art. 3(l), Sch. 1 (with art. 6, Sch. 3); S.I. 2005/2714, art. 3(a) (with Sch. 2 para. 8)