Water Industry Act 1991

142 Powers of undertakers to charge.E+W

(1)Subject to the following provisions of this Chapter, the powers of every relevant undertaker shall include power—

(a)to fix charges for any services provided in the course of carrying out its functions and, in the case of a sewerage undertaker, charges to be paid in connection with the carrying out of its trade effluent functions; and

(b)to demand and recover charges fixed under this section from any persons to whom the undertaker provides services or in relation to whom it carries out trade effluent functions.

(2)[F1Subject to subsections (2A), (3)and (3A)] below, the powers conferred by subsection (1) above shall be exercisable—

(a)by or in accordance with a charges scheme under section 143 below; or

(b)by or in accordance with agreements with the persons to be charged.

[F2(2A)Paragraph (b) of subsection (2) above shall not have effect in relation to—

(a)charges for the supply of water to a dwelling, or

(b)charges for the provision of sewerage services in respect of a dwelling,

but this subsection does not affect any agreement made before the commencement of section 3 of the Water Industry Act 1999.

F2(2B)In subsection (2A) above, “dwelling” has the meaning given by paragraph 1(2) of Schedule 4A to this Act.]

(3)Paragraph (b) of subsection (2) above shall have effect in relation to the exercise of powers with respect to charges in connection with the carrying out of a sewerage undertaker’s trade effluent functions only in so far as provision for the fixing, demanding or recovery of such charges may be contained in an agreement entered into in accordance with section 129 above.

F3[(3A)The power of a sewerage undertaker to charge, by virtue of subsection (1) above, for any services provided in the course of carrying out its duty under section 101A(1) above shall be exercisable only by or in accordance with a charges scheme under section 143 below.]

(4)Except in so far as this Chapter otherwise provides, a relevant undertaker may fix charges under this section by reference to such matters, and may adopt such methods and principles for the calculation and imposition of the charges, as appear to the undertaker to be appropriate.

(5)The powers in relation to which this section has effect shall not be exercised so as to contravene any local statutory provision which expressly provides that no charge shall be made for a particular service.

(6)Nothing in subsections (1) to (5) above or in any charges scheme under section 143 below shall affect any power of a relevant undertaker to fix charges under any power conferred otherwise than by virtue of this Chapter.

[F4(6A)If an undertaker makes an agreement that falls within subsection (2)(b), it must notify the Authority of the provisions of the agreement.

(6B)The requirement in subsection (6A) is enforceable by the Authority under section 18.]

(7)References in this section to a sewerage undertaker’s trade effluent functions are references to its functions under Chapter III of Part IV of this Act.