Water Resources Act 1991

Flood defence and drainage works E+W+S

165 [F1 General powers to carry out flood defence and drainage works.][F1 General powers to carry out works] E+W

(1) [F2 The [F3 Agency] shall have power, in connection with a main river—

(a) to maintain existing works, that is to say, to cleanse, repair or otherwise maintain in a due state of efficiency any existing watercourse or any drainage work;

(b) to improve any existing works, that is to say, to deepen, widen, straighten or otherwise improve any existing watercourse or remove or alter mill dams, weirs or other obstructions to watercourses, or raise, widen or otherwise improve any existing drainage work;

(c) to construct new works, that is to say, to make any new watercourse or drainage work or erect any machinery or do any other act (other than an act referred to in paragraph (a) or (b) above) required for the drainage of any land.]

[F2 The Agency may—

(a) carry out flood risk management work within subsection (1D)(a) to (f) if Conditions 1 and 2 are satisfied;

(b) carry out flood risk management work within subsection (1D)(g) or (h) if Condition 1 is satisfied.

(1A) Condition 1 is that the Agency considers the work desirable having regard to the national flood and coastal erosion risk management strategies under sections 7 and 8 of the Flood and Water Management Act 2010.

(1B) Condition 2 is that the purpose of the work is to manage a flood risk (within the meaning of that Act) from—

(a) the sea, or

(b) a main river.

(1C) In subsection (1B)(b) the reference to a main river includes a reference to a lake, pond or other area of water which flows into a main river.

(1D) In this section “flood risk management work” means anything done—

(a) to maintain existing works (including buildings or structures) including cleansing, repairing or otherwise maintaining the efficiency of an existing watercourse or drainage work;

(b) to operate existing works (such as sluicegates or pumps);

(c) to improve existing works (including buildings or structures) including anything done to deepen, widen, straighten or otherwise improve an existing watercourse, to remove or alter mill dams, weirs or other obstructions to watercourses, or to raise, widen or otherwise improve a drainage work;

(d) to construct or repair new works (including buildings, structures, watercourses, drainage works and machinery);

(e) for the purpose of maintaining or restoring natural processes;

(f) to monitor, investigate or survey a location or a natural process;

(g) to reduce or increase the level of water in a place;

(h) to alter or remove works.]

(2) The [F3 Agency] shall also have power[F4 , irrespective of whether the works are in connection with a main river,] to maintain, improve or construct drainage works for the purpose of defence against sea water or tidal water; and that power shall be exercisable both above and below the low-water mark.

(3) The [F3 Agency] may construct all such works and do all such things in the sea or in any estuary as may, in its opinion, be necessary to secure an adequate outfall for a main river.

[F5 (4) The Agency may by agreement with any person carry out, improve or maintain, at that person’s expense, any drainage works which that person is entitled to carry out, improve or maintain; but for the purposes of this subsection the expense to be borne by that person shall not include such part (if any) of the amount of any grant made under section 47 of the Environment Act 1995 (grants to the new Agencies) as the Agency decides (subject to any terms on which the grant is made) to allocate for the works in question.]

(5) The [F3 Agency] may enter into an agreement with any local authority or with any navigation authority for the carrying out by that authority, on such terms as to payment or otherwise as may be specified in the agreement, of any work [F6 in connection with a main river] which the [F3 Agency] is authorised to carry out [F7 under this section].

(6) Nothing in subsections (1) to (3) above authorises any person to enter on the land of any person except for the purpose of maintaining existing works.

(7) In this section “watercourse” has the same meaning as in Part IV of this Act[F8 ; and subsections (2) and (3) of section 113 above shall apply for the purposes of determining any question arising under this section as to—

(a) whether any work is a drainage work in connection with a main river; or

(b) whether any proposed work will, if constructed, be such a drainage work,

as they apply for the purposes of that Part.]

Textual Amendments

F1 S. 165 heading substituted (19.7.2011 for E.) by Flood and Water Management Act 2010 (c. 29), s. 49(3), Sch. 2 para. 47(6) (with s. 49(1)(6)); S.I. 2011/1770, art. 3(f)

F2 S. 165(1)-(1D) substituted for s. 165(1) (19.7.2011 for E., 1.10.2011 for W.) by Flood and Water Management Act 2010 (c. 29), s. 49(3), Sch. 2 para. 47(2) (with s. 49(1)(6)); S.I. 2011/1770, art. 3(f); S.I. 2011/2204, art. 3(2)(d)

F3 Words in s. 165 substituted (subject to the other provisions of the amending Act) (1.4.1996) by 1995 c. 25, s. 120, Sch. 22 para. 128 (with ss. 7(6), 115, 117); S.I. 1996/186, art. 3

F4 Words in s. 165(2) omitted (19.7.2011 for E., 1.10.2011 for W.) by virtue of Flood and Water Management Act 2010 (c. 29), s. 49(3), Sch. 2 para. 47(3) (with s. 49(1)(6)); S.I. 2011/1770, art. 3(f); S.I. 2011/2204, art. 3(2)(d)

F5 S. 165(4) substituted (17.3.2004 for E., 1.4.2004 for W.) by Water Act 2003 (c. 37), ss. 69(2), 105(3); S.I. 2004/641, art. 2(a) (with Sch. 3 para. 7); S.I. 2004/910, art. 2(1)(b)

F6 Words in s. 165(5) omitted (19.7.2011 for E., 1.10.2011 for W.) by virtue of Flood and Water Management Act 2010 (c. 29), s. 49(3), Sch. 2 para. 47(4)(a) (with s. 49(1)(6)); S.I. 2011/1770, art. 3(f); S.I. 2011/2204, art. 3(2)(d)

F7 Words in s. 165(5) added (19.7.2011 for E., 1.10.2011 for W.) by Flood and Water Management Act 2010 (c. 29), s. 49(3), Sch. 2 para. 47(4)(b) (with s. 49(1)(6)); S.I. 2011/1770, art. 3(f); S.I. 2011/2204, art. 3(2)(d)

F8 Words in s. 165(7) omitted (19.7.2011 for E., 1.10.2011 for W.) by virtue of Flood and Water Management Act 2010 (c. 29), s. 49(3), Sch. 2 para. 47(5) (with s. 49(1)(6)); S.I. 2011/1770, art. 3(f); S.I. 2011/2204, art. 3(2)(d)

Modifications etc. (not altering text)

C1 S. 165 excluded (01.12.1991) by Land Drainage Act 1991 (c. 59, SIF 73:1), ss. 11(2), 76(2).

C2 S. 165(1)(a)(b) explained (16.3.1992) by Avon Weir Act 1992 (c. v), s. 7(4) (with s. 61)

166 Power to carry out works for purpose of providing flood warning system. E+W+S

(1) Without prejudice to its other powers by virtue of [F9 section 37 of the 1995 Act (incidental general powers of the Agency)], Part IV of this Act and this Part, the [F10 Agency] shall have power—

(a) to provide and operate flood warning systems;

(b) to provide, install and maintain apparatus required for the purposes of such systems;

(c) to carry out any other engineering or building operations so required.

(2) Subsection (1) above shall not be construed as authorising, on the part of the [F10 Agency], any act or omission which, apart from that subsection, would be actionable at the suit of any person on any grounds other than a limitation imposed by law on the capacity of the [F10 Agency] by virtue of its constitution.

(3) The [F10 Agency] may exercise the powers conferred by subsection (1)(b) or (c) above in an area in Scotland as if—

(a) its functions in relation to the areas of the regional flood defence committees whose areas are adjacent to Scotland were functions in relation to that area in Scotland; and

(b) that area in Scotland were included in the areas of each of those committees;

but the powers conferred by this subsection are subject (except in the case of a power to maintain apparatus) to prior consultation with the local authority (within the meaning of section 1 of the M1 Flood Prevention (Scotland) Act 1961) for the area in Scotland in question.

[F11 (4) In this section—

“flood warning system” means any system whereby, for the purpose of providing warning of any danger of flooding, information with respect to—

(a) rainfall, as measured at a particular place within a particular period; or

(b) the level or flow of any inland water, or part of an inland water, at a particular time; or

(c) other matters appearing to the Agency to be relevant for that purpose,

is obtained and transmitted, whether automatically or otherwise, with or without provision for carrying out calculations based on such information and for transmitting the results of those calculations;

“inland water” means any of the following in any part of Great Britain, that is to say—

(a) any river, stream or other watercourse, whether natural or artificial and whether tidal or not;

(b) any lake or pond, whether natural or artificial, and any reservoir or dock; and

(c) any channel, creek, bay, estuary or arm of the sea;

“rainfall” includes any fall of snow, hail or sleet.]

Textual Amendments

F9 Words in s. 166(1) substituted (1.4.1996) by 1995 c. 25, s. 120, Sch. 22 para. 164 (with ss. 7(6), 115, 117); S.I. 1996/186, art. 3

F10 Words in s. 166 substituted (subject to the other provisions of the amending Act) (1.4.1996) by 1995 c. 25, s. 120, Sch. 22 para. 128 (with ss. 7(6), 115, 117); S.I. 1996/186, art. 3

F11 S. 166(4) substituted (17.3.2004 for E., 1.4.2004 for W.) by Water Act 2003 (c. 37), ss. 69(3), 105(3); S.I. 2004/641, art. 2(a) (with Sch. 3 para. 7); S.I. 2004/910, art. 2(1)(b)

Marginal Citations

M1 1961 c. 41.

167 Power to dispose of spoil in connection with flood defence works. E+W

(1) Subject to subsection (2) below, the [F12 Agency] may—

(a) without making payment for it, appropriate and dispose of any matter removed in the course of the carrying out of any work for widening, deepening or dredging any watercourse; and

(b) deposit any matter so removed on the banks of the watercourse, or on such width of land adjoining the watercourse as is sufficient to enable the matter in question to be removed and deposited by mechanical means in one operation.

(2) Subsection (1) above shall not authorise the deposit of any matter if the matter deposited would constitute a statutory nuisance within the meaning of Part III of the M2 Environmental Protection Act 1990.

(3) The [F12 Agency] and the council of any district or London borough [F13 or Welsh county or county borough] may enter into an agreement providing—

(a) for the disposal by the council of any matter removed as mentioned in subsection (1) above; and

(b) for the payment by the [F12 Agency] to the council, in respect of the disposal of the matter by the council, of such sum as may be provided by the agreement.

(4) In this section “banks” and “watercourse” have the same meanings as in Part IV of this Act.

Textual Amendments

F12 Words in s.167 substituted (subject to the other provisions of the amending Act) (1.4.1996) by 1995 c. 25, s. 120, Sch. 22 para. 128 (with ss. 7(6), 115, 117); S.I. 1996/186, art. 3

F13 Words in s. 167(3) inserted (1.4.1996) by 1994 c. 19, s. 22(5), Sch. 11 para. 3(4) (with ss. 54(4)(7), 55(5), Sch. 17 paras. 22(1), 23(2)); S.I. 1996/396, art. 3, Sch. 1

Marginal Citations

M2 1990 c. 43.