Water supply licence (England and Wales)

What this covers

You need a licence to supply water to non-household premises in England and Wales

It applies in England and Wales. Other UK nations run their own regimes — check the equivalent for the nation you trade in.

Why you need it

This licence is not an administrative preference — it exists because Parliament created it. The power to require it comes from Water Industry Act 1991.

What the Act carries

These are the duties, penalties and exemptions our graph holds for Water Industry Act 1991 as a whole — the Act behind this licence, not the licence conditions themselves. They show what sort of instrument you are dealing with.

Duties on businesses

138

Penalties

54

Exemptions

60

Duties on businesses under the Act

• Protect the environment and provide recreation on water-associated land s.3
• Comply with conditions and statutory duties as water/sewerage undertaker s.6
• Wilfully obstruct entry by water authority Schedule 6
• Carry out street works without consent of railway or navigation authority Schedule 13
• Carry out street works without required consent Schedule 13
• Comply with Ofwat requirements when applying for a water or sewerage licence s.17F

… and 132 more business duties in the same Act.

What happens if you get it wrong

• Contaminate a water source used for drinking or food production 2 years imprisonment
• Discharge prohibited matter into public sewers 2 years imprisonment
• Fail to comply with appeal requirements or give false statements 2 years imprisonment
• Unlawfully disclose confidential business information 2 years imprisonment
• Maintain and develop an efficient water supply system Unlimited fine

… and 49 more penalties in the same Act.

Exemptions that may take you outside it

• Bulk water supply agreements exempt from certain competition directions — The agreement is for the supply of water in bulk by a water undertaker to another water undertaker or a …
• Business owners may reclaim property from sewerage works within three days — Materials are claimed and removed by the owner within three days of removal
• Business premises exempt from free water meter installation — Premises which do not consist of or include any building or part of a building which is occupied as a …
• Consent refusals and work conditions must be reasonable — Consent applied for under section 175 (tampering with a meter) — the water company must not unreasonably refuse consent or …
• Emergency works exempt from pre-notification to wildlife bodies — Works carried out in an emergency, with particulars notified to the relevant authority as soon as practicable after the event

… and 55 more exemptions in the same Act.

Read our full dossier on Water Industry Act 1991

Who issues it

This one does not go to your council. It is issued by Water Services Regulation Authority, which handles it nationally.

Economic regulator for the water and sewerage sectors in England and Wales. Sets price limits, monitors service quality, and enforces environmental duties. Protects consumers' interests.

Where to apply

Our guidance on this

Everything below is written out in full elsewhere on Guvnor — this page points at it rather than repeating it.

Duty, penalty and exemption labels are Guvnor’s analysis of the enabling instrument, not the instrument itself. Fees, forms and conditions are set by the issuing authority — always check the linked source.

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