{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/water-industry-act-1991/section-66I",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/water-industry-act-1991/section-66I.json",
  "legislation": "ukpga/1991/56",
  "legislation_title": "Water Industry Act 1991",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/water-industry-act-1991",
  "path": "section/66I",
  "kind": "section",
  "number": "66I",
  "heading": "Prohibition on unauthorised use of supply system",
  "text": "(1) Subject to subsections (2) and (3) and section 66K below, no person shall use a water undertaker’s supply system for the purpose of supplying water to any premises of—\n(a) a customer,\n(b) the person so using that system, or\n(c) a person associated with that person.\n(2) Subsection (1) above shall not apply where the supply is made—\n(a) by the water undertaker, or\n(b) by a water supply licensee in pursuance of the licensee's licence.\n(3) The Secretary of State may by regulations specify further circumstances in which subsection (1) above shall not apply.\n(4) A person who contravenes subsection (1) above shall be guilty of an offence.\n(5) Any undertaking entered into which involves a contravention of subsection (1) above shall be unenforceable.\n(6) A person guilty of an offence under this section shall be liable—\n(a) on summary conviction, to a fine not exceeding the statutory maximum, and\n(b) on conviction on indictment, to a fine.\n(7) No proceedings for an offence under this section shall be instituted except by—\n(a) the Secretary of State, or\n(b) the Authority.\n(8) The functions of—\n(a) making regulations under subsection (3) above; and\n(b) instituting proceedings under subsection (7)(a) above,\nare exercisable by the Assembly (and not by the Secretary of State) in relation to any supply system of a water undertaker whose area is wholly or mainly in Wales.\n(8A) For the purposes of this section, a person (A) is associated with another person (B) if they would be associated with each other for the purposes of Schedule 2A if A were a water supply licensee.\n(9) In this section and sections 66J and 66L below, references to the supply system of a water undertaker shall be construed in accordance with section 17B.",
  "extent": "E+W",
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F1",
      "text": "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)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F2",
      "text": "Words in s. 66I(1) substituted (1.4.2016) by Water Act 2014 (c. 21), s. 94(3), Sch. 2 para. 9(2); S.I. 2016/465, art. 2(j)(ii) (with Sch. 2) (as amended (22.3.2017) by S.I. 2017/462, art. 16)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F3",
      "text": "Words in s. 66I(2)(b) substituted (1.4.2016) by Water Act 2014 (c. 21), s. 94(3), Sch. 2 para. 9(3)(a); S.I. 2016/465, art. 2(j)(ii) (with Sch. 2) (as amended (22.3.2017) by S.I. 2017/462, art. 16)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F4",
      "text": "Words in s. 66I(2)(b) substituted (1.4.2016) by Water Act 2014 (c. 21), s. 94(3), Sch. 2 para. 9(3)(b); S.I. 2016/465, art. 2(j)(ii) (with Sch. 2) (as amended (22.3.2017) by S.I. 2017/462, art. 16)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F5",
      "text": "S. 66I(8A) inserted (1.4.2017) by Water Act 2014 (c. 21), s. 94(3), Sch. 2 para. 9(4); S.I. 2017/462, art. 3(i)(vi)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F6",
      "text": "Words in s. 66I(9) substituted (1.4.2017) by Water Act 2014 (c. 21), s. 94(3), Sch. 2 para. 9(5); S.I. 2017/462, art. 3(i)(vi)"
    },
    {
      "type": "C",
      "label": "C1",
      "text": "S. 66I(1) restricted (1.12.2005) by The Water Supply (Exceptions from Supply System Prohibitions) Regulations 2005 (S.I. 2005/3075), reg. 3"
    }
  ],
  "outstanding_effects": [],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1991/56/section/66I",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-11-05T03:34:46.295560+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."
}