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Water Act 2003 in Scotland

2003 c. 37 · Enacted 20 November 2003 · Extends to United Kingdom

Not fully up to date. 10 changes made by later legislation have not yet been written into this text, which is revised to 9 January 2022.

See the changes not yet applied
ProvisionChangeMade by
s. 83(2)(f)words insertedPlanning (Consequential Provisions) (Wales) Act 2026 Sch. 2 para. 342
s. 52(3)(a)words substitutedWater Act 2014 Sch. 7 para. 133(2)(a)
s. 58(2)words substitutedWater Act 2014 Sch. 7 para. 134(2)(a)
s. 58(2)words substitutedWater Act 2014 Sch. 7 para. 134(2)(b)
s. 58(6)words substitutedWater Act 2014 Sch. 7 para. 134(3)(a)
s. 40repealedWater Act 2014 Sch. 7 para. 132
s. 52(3)(b)words substitutedWater Act 2014 Sch. 7 para. 133(2)(b)
s. 52(3)(c)words substitutedWater Act 2014 Sch. 7 para. 133(2)(c)
s. 52(9)insertedWater Act 2014 Sch. 7 para. 133(3)
s. 58(6)words substitutedWater Act 2014 Sch. 7 para. 134(3)(b)

An Act to amend the Water Resources Act 1991 and the Water Industry Act 1991; to make provision with respect to compensation under section 61 of the Water Resources Act 1991; to provide for the establishment and functions of the Water Services Regulation Authority and the Consumer Council for Water, and for the abolition of the office of Director General of Water Services; to make provision in connection with land drainage and flood defence; to amend the Reservoirs Act 1975; to make provision about contaminated land so far as it relates to the pollution of controlled waters; to confer on the Coal Authority functions in relation to the discharge of water from coal mines; to extend the functions of the Environment Agency in relation to the Rivers Esk, Sark and Tweed and their tributaries so far as they are in England; to repeal section 1 of the Metropolis Water Act 1852; and for connected purposes.

[20th November 2003]

Be it enacted by the Queen’s most Excellent Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, in this present Parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:—

Contents

  1. Part 1: Abstraction and impounding
  2. Restrictions on abstraction and impounding
  3. 3Existing impounding works
  4. 4Existing impounding works: works notices
  5. 10Orders under section 33 of the WRA, etc
  6. 11Who may apply for a licence
  7. 12Abolition of combined licences
  8. 13Applications: types of abstraction licence
  9. 14Publication of application for licence
  10. 15General consideration of licence applications
  11. 16Protection from derogation
  12. 17Protected rights
  13. 18Register of certain protected rights
  14. 19Form, contents and effect of licences
  15. 20Limited extension of abstraction licence validity
  16. Modification of licences
  17. 21Modification of licences
  18. 22Proposals for modification at instance of Agency or Secretary of State
  19. 23Transfer and apportionment of licences
  20. 24Claims arising out of water abstraction
  21. 25Compensation for modification of licence on direction of Secretary of State
  22. 26Recovery of compensation from new licence-holder
  23. 27Withdrawal of compensation for certain revocations and variations
  24. 28Water resources management schemes: other abstractors
  25. 29Water resources management schemes: referral to Secretary of State
  26. 30Enforcement notices, and related procedures and offences
  27. 31Bulk supplies
  28. 32Visiting forces
  29. Part 2: New regulatory arrangements, etc
  30. Establishment, etc of new bodies
  31. 36Transfer to Authority and Council of functions, property etc
  32. 40Guidance to Authority on social and environmental matters
  33. 41Standards of performance in relation to water supply
  34. 42Standards of performance in relation to sewerage services
  35. 43General functions of the Council
  36. 44Provision of information to the Council
  37. 45Provision of statistical information to consumers etc
  38. 46Consumer complaints
  39. 47Investigations by the Council
  40. 48Financial penalties
  41. 49Enforcement of certain provisions
  42. 50Links between directors' pay and standards of performance
  43. 51Reasons for decisions
  44. The Competition Commission
  45. 53Specialist members of the Competition Commission
  46. 56Licensing of other water suppliers
  47. Part 3: Miscellaneous
  48. Water fluoridation
  49. 58Fluoridation of water supplies
  50. 59Charges for services provided with the help of an undertaker
  51. 62Water resources management plans
  52. 63Drought plans
  53. 64Drought orders and drought permits: charges
  54. 65Procedure at local inquiries
  55. Land drainage and flood defence
  56. 66Revocation of local flood defence schemes
  57. 68Regional flood defence committees
  58. 70Information
  59. 71Extension of Environment Agency’s powers of entry
  60. 72Efficient use of water resources
  61. Border rivers
  62. 73Border rivers
  63. Reservoirs
  64. 74Environment Agency to be enforcement authority under the Reservoirs Act 1975
  65. 76Service of documents
  66. 81Duty to encourage water conservation
  67. 82Water conservation: requirements on relevant undertakers
  68. 83Water conservation by public authorities
  69. 84Fire hydrants
  70. Coal mine water pollution
  71. 85Control of water from coal mines
  72. 86Contaminated land: pollution of controlled waters
  73. 87Transfer of discharge consents
  74. 88Trade effluent consents Not yet in force
  75. 89Trade effluent consents: conditions of consent Not yet in force
  76. 90Water main requisitions: financial conditions
  77. 91Water main requisitions: calculation of payments
  78. 92Self-lay and adoption of water mains and service pipes
  79. 93Requisition and adoption of sewers
  80. 94Provision of public sewers otherwise than by requisition
  81. 95Requisition of lateral drains
  82. 96Adoption of lateral drains
  83. 97Requisitioning and adoption of lateral drains: supplementary
  84. 98Schemes for the adoption of sewers, lateral drains and sewage disposal works
  85. 99Communication with public sewers
  86. Part 4: Supplementary
  87. 103Powers to make further supplementary, consequential and transitional provision, etc
  88. 104Regulations and orders
  89. Paragraph Not yet in force
  90. Paragraph Not yet in force
  91. Schedule 3: Further provisions about transfers of functions, property etc
  92. Preliminary
  93. 1Paragraph 1
  94. Contents of transfer schemes
  95. 2Paragraph 2
  96. 3Paragraph 3
  97. 4Paragraph 4
  98. Modification of transfer scheme after appointed day
  99. 5Paragraph 5
  100. Effect of transfers
  101. 6Paragraph 6
  102. 7Paragraph 7
  103. 8Paragraph 8
  104. Continuity of employment, etc of transferred employees
  105. 9Paragraph 9
  106. 1Paragraph 1
  107. 2Paragraph 2
  108. 3Paragraph 3
  109. 4Paragraph 4
  110. Paragraph
  111. Paragraph
  112. Part 1: Abstraction and impounding
  113. Water Resources Act 1991 (c. 57)
  114. 1Paragraph 1
  115. 2Paragraph 2
  116. 3Paragraph 3
  117. 4Paragraph 4
  118. 5Paragraph 5
  119. 6Paragraph 6
  120. 7Paragraph 7
  121. 8Paragraph 8
  122. 9Paragraph 9
  123. 10Paragraph 10
  124. 11Paragraph 11
  125. 12Paragraph 12
  126. 13Paragraph 13
  127. 14Paragraph 14
  128. Environment Act 1995 (c. 25)
  129. 15Paragraph 15
  130. Part 2: New regulatory arrangements, etc
  131. Public Records Act 1958 (c. 51)
  132. 16Paragraph 16
  133. Public Bodies (Admission to Meetings) Act 1960 (c. 67)
  134. 17Paragraph 17
  135. Parliamentary Commissioner Act 1967 (c. 13)
  136. 18Paragraph 18
  137. Superannuation Act 1972 (c. 11)
  138. 19Paragraph 19
  139. House of Commons Disqualification Act 1975 (c. 24)
  140. 20Paragraph 20
  141. Northern Ireland Assembly Disqualification Act 1975 (c. 25)
  142. 21Paragraph 21
  143. Race Relations Act 1976 (c. 74)
  144. Telecommunications Act 1984 (c. 12)
  145. 23Paragraph 23
  146. Airports Act 1986 (c. 31)
  147. 24Paragraph 24
  148. Company Directors Disqualification Act 1986 (c. 46)
  149. 25Paragraph 25
  150. Water Act 1989 (c. 15)
  151. 26Paragraph 26
  152. Water Industry Act 1991 (c. 56)
  153. 27Paragraph 27
  154. Water Resources Act 1991 (c. 57)
  155. 28Paragraph 28
  156. Water Consolidation (Consequential Provisions) Act 1991 (c. 60)
  157. 29Paragraph 29
  158. Competition and Service (Utilities) Act 1992 (c. 43)
  159. 30Paragraph 30
  160. Coal Industry Act 1994 (c. 21)
  161. 31Paragraph 31
  162. Competition Act 1998 (c. 41)
  163. 32Paragraph 32
  164. Postal Services Act 2000 (c. 26)
  165. Utilities Act 2000 (c. 27)
  166. 34Paragraph 34
  167. Transport Act 2000 (c. 38)
  168. 35Paragraph 35
  169. Enterprise Act 2002 (c. 40)
  170. 36Paragraph 36
  171. Part 3: Miscellaneous
  172. Metropolis Water Act 1852 (c. 84)
  173. 37Paragraph 37
  174. Reservoirs Act 1975 (c. 23)
  175. 38Paragraph 38
  176. Water Industry Act 1991 (c. 56)
  177. 39Paragraph 39
  178. Land Drainage Act 1991 (c. 59)
  179. 40Paragraph 40
  180. Health Authorities Act 1995 (c. 17)
  181. 41Paragraph 41
  182. Environment Act 1995 (c. 25)
  183. 42Paragraph 42
  184. Water Act 1989 (c. 15)
  185. 1Paragraph 1
  186. Water Industry Act 1991 (c. 56)
  187. 2Paragraph 2
  188. 3Paragraph 3
  189. 4Paragraph 4
  190. 5Paragraph 5
  191. 6Paragraph 6
  192. 7Paragraph 7
  193. 8Paragraph 8
  194. 9Paragraph 9
  195. 10Paragraph 10
  196. 11Paragraph 11
  197. 12Paragraph 12
  198. 13Paragraph 13
  199. 14Paragraph 14
  200. 15Paragraph 15
  201. 16Paragraph 16
  202. 17Paragraph 17
  203. 18Paragraph 18
  204. 19Paragraph 19
  205. 20Paragraph 20
  206. 21Paragraph 21
  207. 22Paragraph 22
  208. 23Paragraph 23
  209. 24Paragraph 24
  210. 25Paragraph 25
  211. 26Paragraph 26
  212. 27Paragraph 27
  213. 28Paragraph 28
  214. 29Paragraph 29
  215. 30Paragraph 30
  216. 31Paragraph 31
  217. 32Paragraph 32
  218. 33Paragraph 33
  219. 34Paragraph 34
  220. 35Paragraph 35
  221. 36Paragraph 36
  222. 37Paragraph 37
  223. 38Paragraph 38
  224. 39Paragraph 39
  225. 40Paragraph 40
  226. 41Paragraph 41
  227. 42Paragraph 42
  228. 43Paragraph 43
  229. 44Paragraph 44
  230. 45Paragraph 45
  231. 46Paragraph 46
  232. 47Paragraph 47
  233. 48Paragraph 48
  234. 49Paragraph 49
  235. 50Paragraph 50
  236. 51Paragraph 51
  237. 52Paragraph 52
  238. Water Resources Act 1991 (c. 57)
  239. 53Paragraph 53
  240. Competition Act 1998 (c. 41)
  241. 54Paragraph 54
  242. Enterprise Act 2002 (c. 40)
  243. 55Paragraph 55
  244. 3Miscellaneous and supplementary