{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/water-supply-water-quality-scotland-regulations-1990/regulation-24",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/water-supply-water-quality-scotland-regulations-1990/regulation-24.json",
  "legislation": "uksi/1990/119",
  "legislation_title": "The Water Supply (Water Quality) (Scotland) Regulations 1990",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/water-supply-water-quality-scotland-regulations-1990",
  "path": "regulation/24",
  "kind": "regulation",
  "number": "24",
  "heading": "Contamination from pipes",
  "text": "(1) Where there is a risk (“the prescribed risk”) that water supplied by a water authority would, for the reason mentioned in paragraph (2) below, cease to comply with the requirements of Part II of these Regulations after leaving the authority’s pipes, a water authority shall, subject to paragraphs (4) and (5)—\n(a) treat the water in such a way as will, in its opinion, eliminate the prescribed risk or reduce it to a minimum; and\n(b) where the risk relates to lead, remove its part of any pipe to which this sub-paragraph applies when such part of the remainder of that pipe as connects directly to a tap used for the supply of drinking water is removed.\n(2) The reason referred to in paragraph (1) is the presence in the water of a concentration of copper, lead or zinc which exceeds the prescribed concentration and which is attributable to the fact that—\n(a) copper or lead is the major component; or\n(b) zinc is a component,\nof such a pipe as is mentioned in section 76A(3)(a) of the Act.\n(3) Paragraph (1)(b) applies to a lead pipe which is subject to water pressure from a main or would be so subject but for the closing of some valve and which belongs, as to part, to a water authority and, as to the remainder, to the owner of any premises to which the water authority supplies water for domestic purposes.\n(4) Paragraph (1) shall not require a water authority to treat water —\n(a) if the treatment is unlikely, in its opinion, to achieve a significant reduction in the concentration of copper, lead or zinc, as the case may be; or\n(b) in any water supply zone where the prescribed risk relates only to water supplied in an insignificant part of the zone; or\n(c) if treatment is not reasonably practicable.\n(5) Paragraph (1) shall not require a water authority to remove a pipe unless it has received a request in writing to do so from the owner of the premises in question.",
  "extent": null,
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [],
  "outstanding_effects": [
    {
      "type": "amended",
      "affecting": "uksi/1991/1333",
      "affecting_title": "The Water Supply (Water Quality) (Scotland) Amendment Regulations 1991"
    }
  ],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1990/119/regulation/24",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-10-29T15:29:09.116107+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."
}