{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/water-act-1948-repealed-1121991/section-15",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/water-act-1948-repealed-1121991/section-15.json",
  "legislation": "ukpga/Geo6/11-12/22",
  "legislation_title": "Water Act 1948 (repealed 1.12.1991)",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/water-act-1948-repealed-1121991",
  "path": "section/15",
  "kind": "section",
  "number": "15",
  "heading": "Interpretation, citation, construction and extent.",
  "text": "(1) In this Act the following expressions have the meanings hereby respectively assigned to them, that is to say:—\n“principal Act” means the Water Act 1945;\n“statutory undertakers” means persons authorised by any enactment to carry on railway, light railway, tramway, road transport, water transport, canal, inland navigation, dock, harbour, pier or lighthouse undertaking, or any undertaking for the supply of electricity, gas, hydraulic power, or water;\n“appropriate Minister” means—\n(a) in relation to statutory undertakers carrying on any railway, light railway, tramway, road transport, dock, harbour, or pier undertaking, the Minister of Transport;\n(b) in relation to statutory undertakers carrying on an undertaking for the supply of electricity, gas or hydraulic power, the Secretary of State for Energy;\n(c) in relation to statutory undertakers carrying on any lighthouse undertaking, the Secretary of State for Trade;\n(d) in relation to statutory undertakers, being statutory water undertakers, in the application of this Act to Wales, the Secretary of State for Wales; and\n(e) in relation to any other statutory undertakers, the Secretary of State for the Environment.\n. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .\n(2) References in this Act to the Third Schedule to the principal Act shall include references to that Schedule as incorporated by section one hundred and twenty of the Public Health Act 1936 or by any other enactment in force at the commencement of this Act.\n(3) This Act may be cited as the Water Act 1948 and the principal Act and this Act may be cited together as the Water Acts 1945 and 1948.\n(4) Except where the context otherwise requires, references in this Act to any enactment shall be construed as references to that enactment as amended by any subsequent enactment, including this Act.\n(5) This Act shall be construed as one with the principal Act, and without prejudice to the generality of the foregoing provision, references in the principal Act to any provision of that Act shall be construed as references to that provision as amended by this Act.\n(6) This Act shall not extend to Scotland or Northern Ireland.",
  "extent": null,
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F1",
      "text": "Ss. 2, 3, 4(1), 7-11, 14, 15, Sch. repealed (with saving) (1.9.1989) by Water Act 1989 (c. 15, SIF 130), ss. 190(3), 194(3), Sch. 27, Pt. I (with ss. 58(7), 101(1), 141(6), 160(1)(2)(4), 163, 189(4)-(10), 190, 193(1), Sch. 26 paras. 3(1)(2), 17, 40(4), 41(1), 57(6), 58)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F2",
      "text": "Definition inserted by S.I. 1976/1775, Sch. 3 para. 1"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F3",
      "text": "Words substituted by virtue of S.I. 1979/571, art. 3(3)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F4",
      "text": "Definition of “appropriate Minister” repealed by S.I. 1970/1681, Sch. 4"
    },
    {
      "type": "M",
      "label": "M1",
      "text": "1945 c. 42."
    },
    {
      "type": "M",
      "label": "M2",
      "text": "1936 c. 49."
    }
  ],
  "outstanding_effects": [],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/Geo6/11-12/22/section/15",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-10-29T11:23:26.878260+00:00"
  },
  "licence": "Open Government Licence v3.0",
  "licence_url": "https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/",
  "attribution": "Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives."
}