- Enforced by
- Environment Agency, Ofwat, DWI
- Status
- Amended (in force with amendments)
- Penalty ceiling
- Imprisonment 3 of 20 obligations carry an unlimited fine. 2 carry different penalties and 15 have no criminal penalty — flagged in the list below.
Does it bind you?
Business-side roles with duties under this instrument.
Any Person7
Statutory Undertaker4
Plus 9 duties on the regulator, Crown ministers and public bodies — folded into the section list below.
Other Acts binding the same actors
If a role above is yours, these are the other instruments that most often bind it.
Any Person — also bound by 2340 other Acts
Human Medicines Regulations 2012
184 duties
Merchant Shipping Act 1995
144 duties
Insolvency (England and Wales) Rules 2016
104 duties
Communications Act 2003
92 duties
Road Traffic Act 1988
92 duties
Statutory Undertaker — also bound by 179 other Acts
The Cory Decarbonisation Project Order 2025
120 duties
Water Industry Act 1991
53 duties
What it requires
Sections creating concrete business duties or carrying penalties, grouped as the instrument is structured. Titles link to the source text — blue means you’re leaving for legislation.gov.uk.
Part 1
Abstraction and impounding
2 of 33 sections shown
s.004
Existing impounding works: works notices (opens in a new tab)
Prosecution
- Fail to comply with works notice for unlicensed impounding worksAny Person
Unlimited fine
s.030
Enforcement notices, and related procedures and offences (opens in a new tab)
Prosecution
- Fail to comply with an enforcement noticeAny Person
Unlimited fine
31 other sections in this Part — procedural and definitional
Part 2
New regulatory arrangements, etc
5 of 23 sections shown
s.035
Consumer Council for Water (opens in a new tab)
Regulated
Other duties (1) — Crown / regulator
- Consumer Council for Water must represent and protect consumer interestsStatutory regulator
s.043
General functions of the Council (opens in a new tab)
Regulated
Other duties (1) — Crown / regulator
- Consumer Council for Water must represent and advise on consumer interestsStatutory regulator
s.045
Provision of statistical information to consumers etc (opens in a new tab)
Regulated
Other duties (1) — Crown / regulator
- Consumer Council for Water must publish complaint statisticsStatutory regulator
s.046
Consumer complaints (opens in a new tab)
Regulated
Other duties (1) — Crown / regulator
- Consumer Council for Water must investigate and mediate customer complaintsStatutory regulator
s.052
Co-operation between water regulators (opens in a new tab)
Regulated
Other duties (1) — Crown / regulator
- Water regulators must cooperate and share information with each otherStatutory regulator
18 other sections in this Part — procedural and definitional
Part 3
Miscellaneous
10 of 43 sections shown
s.058
Fluoridation of water supplies (opens in a new tab)
Regulated
- Fluoridate water supplies when requested by health authoritiesStatutory Undertaker
s.062
Water resources management plans (opens in a new tab)
Regulated
- Prepare and maintain a water resources management planStatutory Undertaker
s.063
Drought plans (opens in a new tab)
Regulated
- Water companies must prepare and maintain a drought planStatutory Undertaker
s.070
Information (opens in a new tab)
Imprisonment
- Fail to comply with information notice under the Water ActAny Person
s.074
Environment Agency to be enforcement authority under the Reservoirs Act 1975 (opens in a new tab)
Regulated
- Acknowledge the Environment Agency as the reservoir enforcement authorityAny Person
s.079
Offences (opens in a new tab)
Imprisonment
- Fail to comply with direction under section 12AAny Person
s.081
Duty to encourage water conservation (opens in a new tab)
Regulated
Other duties (1) — Crown / regulator
- Government must encourage water conservation and report every three yearsCrown / Minister / Government department
s.083
Water conservation by public authorities (opens in a new tab)
Regulated
Other duties (1) — Crown / regulator
- Public authorities must consider water conservation in all activitiesCrown / Minister / Government department
s.095
Requisition of lateral drains (opens in a new tab)
Prosecution
- Sewerage undertakers must provide lateral drains upon requestStatutory Undertaker
Unlimited fine
s.098
Schemes for the adoption of sewers, lateral drains and sewage disposal works (opens in a new tab)
Regulated
- Prepare and submit adoption schemes for sewers, drains and disposal worksAny Person
33 other sections in this Part — procedural and definitional
Part 4
Supplementary
5 of 6 sections shown1 other section in this Part — procedural and definitional
Schedules
Schedules
3 of 123 shown
s.002
The Consumer Council for Water (opens in a new tab)
Regulated
Other duties (1) — Crown / regulator
- Consumer Council for Water must publish annual reports on project progressStatutory regulator
s.006
Compulsory purchase under the Coal Industry Act 1994 (opens in a new tab)
Regulated
- Pay compensation for the compulsory acquisition of new rights over landAny Person
s.sch005
Powers of entry under the Coal Industry Act 1994 (opens in a new tab)
Regulated
Other duties (1) — Crown / regulator
- Coal Authority may enter premises by force under warrantStatutory regulator
120 other schedules
s.sch001
After Schedule 1 to the WIA there is inserted— SCHEDULE...
s.sch002
After Schedule 3 to the WIA there is inserted— SCHEDULE...
s.sch003
In this Schedule— “transfer” means— a transfer of functions under...
s.sch003
(1) The property, rights and liabilities which may be transferred...
s.sch003
A transfer scheme may define the property, rights and liabilities...
s.sch003
A transfer scheme may include such supplementary, incidental, transitional and...
s.sch003
(1) If, after the day appointed by a transfer scheme,...
s.sch003
(1) Anything done by the transferor for the purpose of...
s.sch003
There may be continued by or in relation to the...
s.sch003
The transferee shall be substituted for the transferor in any...
s.sch003
Where a person employed in the civil service of the...
s.sch004
The WIA is amended as follows.
s.sch004
After Chapter 1 of Part 2 of the WIA there...
s.sch004
After Chapter 2 of Part 3 of the WIA there...
s.sch004
(1) The Water Services Regulation Authority (“the Authority”) may, in...
s.sch005
After Schedule 1 to the Coal Industry Act 1994 (c....
s.sch006
After Schedule 1A to the Coal Industry Act 1994 (c....
s.sch007
The WRA is amended as follows.
s.sch007
In section 125 (specific exemptions from water resources charges), subsection...
s.sch007
In section 206 (making of false statements etc), in subsection...
s.sch007
In section 217 (criminal liabilities of directors and other third...
s.sch007
In section 222 (Crown application), as substituted by paragraph 2(4)...
s.sch007
For Schedule 6 (which relates to the making of orders...
s.sch007
(1) The Environment Act 1995 is amended as follows.
s.sch007
In Schedule 1 to the Public Records Act 1958 (definition...
s.sch007
In the Schedule to the Public Bodies (Admission to Meetings)...
s.sch007
In Schedule 2 to the Parliamentary Commissioner Act 1967 (departments...
s.sch007
In Schedule 1 to the Superannuation Act 1972, in the...
s.sch007
In section 34 (regulations with respect to applications under Chapter...
s.sch007
(1) Schedule 1 to the House of Commons Disqualification Act...
s.sch007
(1) Schedule 1 to the Northern Ireland Assembly Disqualification Act...
s.sch007
In Part 2 of Schedule 1A to the Race Relations...
s.sch007
In the Telecommunications Act 1984, in section 101 (restriction on...
s.sch007
In the Airports Act 1986, in section 74 (restriction on...
s.sch007
In section 9E of the Company Directors Disqualification Act 1986...
s.sch007
(1) The Water Act 1989 is amended as follows.
s.sch007
(1) The WIA is amended as follows.
s.sch007
(1) The WRA is amended as follows.
s.sch007
(1) The Water Consolidation (Consequential Provisions) Act 1991 is amended...
s.sch007
In section 40 (obligations to take river flow etc into...
s.sch007
Section 50 of the Competition and Service (Utilities) Act 1992...
s.sch007
In section 59 (information to be kept confidential by the...
s.sch007
(1) The Competition Act 1998 is amended as follows.
s.sch007
In Schedule 7 to the Postal Services Act 2000 (disclosure...
s.sch007
In section 105 of the Utilities Act 2000 (general restrictions...
s.sch007
In Schedule 9 to the Transport Act 2000 (air traffic:...
s.sch007
(1) The Enterprise Act 2002 is amended as follows.
s.sch007
Section 1 of the Metropolis Water Act 1852 (restriction on...
s.sch007
In Schedule 1 to the Reservoirs Act 1975 (index of...
s.sch007
(1) The WIA is amended as follows.
s.sch007
In section 51 (modification of licence on application of licence...
s.sch007
(1) The Land Drainage Act 1991 is amended as follows....
s.sch007
In Schedule 1 to the Health Authorities Act 1995 (amendment...
s.sch007
In section 101 of the Environment Act 1995 (grants in...
s.sch007
In section 57 (emergency variation of licences for spray irrigation...
s.sch007
In section 61 (compensation for licence modified on direction of...
s.sch007
In section 66 (inland waters owned or managed by British...
s.sch007
(1) Section 67 (ecclesiastical property) is amended as follows.
s.sch007
In section 71 (modification of local enactments), in subsection (4),...
s.sch008
(1) Section 174 of the Water Act 1989 (general restrictions...
s.sch008
In section 25 (power to make special administration order on...
s.sch008
In section 26 (restrictions on voluntary winding up and insolvency...
s.sch008
(1) Section 27 (general duty of Authority to keep matters...
s.sch008
(1) Section 39A (information to be given to customers about...
s.sch008
(1) Section 43 (calculation of payments to undertaker in respect...
s.sch008
(1) Section 52 (the domestic supply duty) is amended as...
s.sch008
(1) Section 55 (supplies for non-domestic purposes) is amended as...
s.sch008
After section 63 there is inserted— Supply by licensed water...
s.sch008
(1) Section 68 (water quality) is amended as follows.
s.sch008
(1) Section 69 (regulations for preserving water quality) is amended...
s.sch008
The WIA is amended as follows.
s.sch008
(1) Section 70 (offence of supplying water unfit for human...
s.sch008
In section 72 (contamination of water sources), in subsection (5),...
s.sch008
In section 73 (offences of contaminating water etc), in subsection...
s.sch008
In section 74 (regulations for preventing contamination etc), in subsection...
s.sch008
(1) Section 75 (power to prevent damage etc) is amended...
s.sch008
In section 76 (temporary hosepipe bans), in subsection (1), after...
s.sch008
(1) Section 78 (local authority functions in relation to undertaker’s...
s.sch008
(1) Section 86 (enforcement of water quality) is amended as...
s.sch008
In section 93(1) (interpretation of Part 3), in the definition...
s.sch008
In section 93A (duty to promote the efficient use of...
s.sch008
In section 6 (appointment of relevant undertakers), after subsection (5)...
s.sch008
(1) Section 93B (power to impose requirements in connection with...
s.sch008
(1) Section 93C (publicity) is amended as follows.
s.sch008
(1) Section 93D (information as to compliance) is amended as...
s.sch008
In section 148 (restriction on charging for metering works), in...
s.sch008
In section 150 (fixing maximum charges for services provided with...
s.sch008
In section 152 (grants for national security purposes), in subsection...
s.sch008
In section 158 (powers to lay pipes in streets), in...
s.sch008
(1) Section 162 (works in connection with metering) is amended...
s.sch008
In section 163 (power to fit stopcocks), in subsection (1),...
s.sch008
(1) Section 174 (offences of interference with works) is amended...
s.sch008
(1) Section 18 (orders for securing compliance) is amended as...
s.sch008
(1) Section 175 (offence of tampering with meter) is amended...
s.sch008
(1) Section 179 (vesting of works in undertaker) is amended...
s.sch008
(1) Section 195 (maintenance of register for the purposes of...
s.sch008
(1) Section 201 (publication of information and advice) is amended...
s.sch008
(1) Section 202 (duty to furnish the Secretary of State...
s.sch008
(1) Section 203 (power to acquire information for enforcement purposes)...
s.sch008
(1) Section 205 (exchange of metering information) is amended as...
s.sch008
(1) Section 206 (restriction on disclosure of information) is amended...
s.sch008
(1) Section 208 (directions in the interests of national security)...
s.sch008
(1) Section 213 (power to make regulations) is amended as...
s.sch008
(1) Section 19 (exceptions to duty to enforce) is amended...
s.sch008
(1) Section 219 (general interpretation) is amended as follows.
s.sch008
(1) Schedule 2 (transitional provision on termination of appointments) is...
s.sch008
(1) Schedule 3 (special administration orders) is amended as follows....
s.sch008
(1) The WRA is amended as follows.
s.sch008
In Schedule 7 to the Competition Act 1998, in paragraph...
s.sch008
(1) The Enterprise Act 2002 is amended as follows.
s.sch008
(1) Section 20 (procedure for enforcement orders) is amended as...
s.sch008
In section 22 (effect of enforcement order), in subsection (3),...
s.sch008
(1) Section 23 (meaning and effect of special administration order)...
s.sch008
(1) Section 24 (special administration orders made on special petitions)...
Help complying
Guvnor’s practical routes through this instrument.
Water Framework Directive compliance for businesses
Complete compliance pathway for businesses whose activities may affect water body status — from understanding the WFD framework through identifying which licences, …
Apply for a water abstraction licence
How to apply for a licence to abstract water from rivers, streams, boreholes, or other sources. Covers the 20 cubic metres per …
1 more guide that reference this instrument
Connected legislation
Instruments made under this Act. They carry the detail the Act delegates.
The Water Act 2003 (Commencement No. 12) Order 2017
SI 2017/1043
The Water Act 2003 (Commencement No. 2, Transitional Provisions and Savings) Order 2004
SI 2004/2528
The Water Act 2003 (Commencement No. 5, Transitional Provisions and Savings) Order 2005
SI 2005/2714
The Water Act 2003 (Commencement No. 8) Order 2008
SI 2008/1922
Duty extraction and severity labels are Guvnor’s analysis of the instrument, not the instrument itself. Always verify against the linked source text.