{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/water-scotland-act-1980/section-31",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/water-scotland-act-1980/section-31.json",
  "legislation": "ukpga/1980/45",
  "legislation_title": "Water (Scotland) Act 1980",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/water-scotland-act-1980",
  "path": "section/31",
  "kind": "section",
  "number": "31",
  "heading": "Consultation with authorities in England.",
  "text": "(1) Where the limits of supply of Scottish Water adjoin any part of England and it appears to Scottish Water that there may be water in watercourses or underground strata in that part of England, or in the limits of supply, which could be transferred from that part of England to the limits of supply, or from the limits of supply to that part of England, as the case may be, Scottish Water shall, insofar as it considers it appropriate to do so, consult with\n(a) the water undertakers and other appropriate authorities in that part of England with a view to securing the best use of that water in the public interest ; and\n(b) the Scottish Environment Protection Agency.\n(2) In subsection (1) the reference to water in underground strata shall be construed as a reference to water contained in strata subjacent to the surface of any land otherwise than in a sewer, pipe, reservoir, tank or other underground works constructed in any such strata.",
  "extent": "S",
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F1",
      "text": "Words in s. 31(1) substituted (1.4.2002) by Water Industry (Scotland) Act 2002 (asp 3), s. 71(1), Sch. 6 para. 24(a) (with s. 67); S.S.I. 2002/118, art. 2(3)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F2",
      "text": "Words in s. 31(1) substituted (1.4.2002) by Water Industry (Scotland) Act 2002 (asp 3), s. 71(1), Sch. 6 para. 24(b) (with s. 67); S.S.I. 2002/118, art. 2(3)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F3",
      "text": "Words in s. 31(1) substituted (1.4.2002) by Water Industry (Scotland) Act 2002 (asp 3), s. 71(1), Sch. 6 para. 24(c) (with s. 67); S.S.I. 2002/118, art. 2(3)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F4",
      "text": "Words in s. 31(1) substituted (1.4.2002) by Water Industry (Scotland) Act 2002 (asp 3), s. 71(1), Sch. 6 para. 24(d) (with s. 67); S.S.I. 2002/118, art. 2(3)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F5",
      "text": "“(a)” inserted (1.10.1991) by Natural Heritage (Scotland) Act 1991 (c. 28, SIF 46:1, 130), s. 27(1), Sch. 10 para. 9(2)(a)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F6",
      "text": "Words substituted by Water Act 1989 (c. 15, SIF 130), s. 190, Sch. 25 para. 60(1) (with ss. 58(7), 101(1), 141(6), 160(1)(2)(4), 163, 189(4)–(10), 193(1), Sch. 26 paras. 3(1)(2), 17, 40(4), 57(6), 58)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F7",
      "text": "Word “;and”and s. 31(1)(b) inserted (1.10.1991) by Natural Heritage (Scotland) Act 1991 (c. 28, SIF 46:1, 130), s. 27(1), Sch. 10 para. 9(2)(b)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F8",
      "text": "S. 31(1)(b) substituted (1.4.1996) by 1995 c. 25, s. 120, Sch. 22 para. 34(2); S.I. 1996/186, art. 3"
    }
  ],
  "outstanding_effects": [],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1980/45/section/31",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-10-29T10:15:16.376021+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."
}