Water Supply

licensing England_Wales Ongoing

Appointment / licence as a water undertaker or water supply licensee

Enforced by: OFWAT

Water Industry Act 1991; Water Act 2014

A monopoly water/sewerage undertaker must be appointed by the Secretary of State or Ofwat under the Water Industry Act 1991; new entrants supplying retail/wholesale services need a water supply licence or sewerage licence (WSSL) from Ofwat under the competition regime introduced by the Water Act 2014. Conditions of appointment/licence are enforced by Ofwat as the economic regulator. Scotland: the public provider is Scottish Water under the Water Industry (Scotland) Act 2002, with retail competition licensed by WICS under the Water Services etc. (Scotland) Act 2005. Northern Ireland: NI Water is the sole statutory water and sewerage undertaker under the Water and Sewerage Services (Northern Ireland) Order 2006, with economic conditions of appointment regulated by the Utility Regulator (NIAUR).

licensing Ni Ongoing

Appointment as the water and sewerage undertaker (Northern Ireland)

Enforced by: NIAUR

The Water and Sewerage Services (Northern Ireland) Order 2006

Northern Ireland equivalent of the water/sewerage undertaker appointment: NI Water was established as the sole water and sewerage undertaker under the Water and Sewerage Services (Northern Ireland) Order 2006, with the economic conditions of its appointment regulated by the Utility Regulator (the Northern Ireland Authority for Utility Regulation, NIAUR). No graph regulator code for NIAUR — use literal 'niaur'.

licensing Scotland Ongoing

Scottish water industry licensing / economic regulation (WICS)

Enforced by: WICS

Water Industry (Scotland) Act 2002; Water Services etc. (Scotland) Act 2005

In Scotland the public network is provided by Scottish Water (established by the Water Industry (Scotland) Act 2002). The retail market is competitive: licensed providers supplying non-household customers must hold a licence regulated by the Water Industry Commission for Scotland (WICS) under the Water Services etc. (Scotland) Act 2005. No graph regulator code for WICS — use literal 'wics'.

compliance Scotland Ongoing

Drinking water quality compliance (Scotland)

Enforced by: DWQR

The Public Water Supplies (Scotland) Regulations 2014

Scottish equivalent of the drinking-water wholesomeness regime: water supplied by Scottish Water for human consumption must meet the wholesomeness standards in the Public Water Supplies (Scotland) Regulations 2014, with monitoring, investigation and remedial-action duties enforced by the Drinking Water Quality Regulator for Scotland (DWQR). No graph regulator code for DWQR — use literal 'dwqr'.

compliance England_Wales Ongoing

Drinking water quality compliance

Enforced by: DWI

Water Supply (Water Quality) Regulations 2016; Water Supply (Water Quality) Regulations 2018 (Wales)

Water supplied for human consumption must meet the wholesomeness standards in the Water Supply (Water Quality) Regulations, with sampling, treatment and reporting duties enforced by the Drinking Water Inspectorate (DWI). Scotland: Public Water Supplies (Scotland) Regulations 2014 (ssi/2014/364), enforced by the Drinking Water Quality Regulator for Scotland (DWQR); NI: Water Supply (Water Quality) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2017.

compliance Ni Ongoing

Drinking water quality compliance (Northern Ireland)

Enforced by: NIEA

The Water Supply (Water Quality) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2017

Northern Ireland equivalent of the drinking-water wholesomeness regime: water supplied by NI Water for human consumption must meet the standards in the Water Supply (Water Quality) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2017, enforced by the Drinking Water Inspectorate, which operates as a unit of the Northern Ireland Environment Agency (NIEA) — use the graph's 'niea' regulator code.

licensing England_Wales Ongoing

Water abstraction and impounding licence

Enforced by: ENVIRONMENT_AGENCY

Water Resources Act 1991

Collecting (abstracting) raw water from rivers, lakes or groundwater above the threshold, or impounding a watercourse, requires an abstraction / impounding licence under the Water Resources Act 1991. England: Environment Agency; Wales: Natural Resources Wales (NRW). Scotland: authorised under the controlled-activities (CAR) regime administered by SEPA.

permit England_Wales Ongoing

Environmental permit (discharges and water treatment activities)

Enforced by: ENVIRONMENT_AGENCY

Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations 2016

Discharges to controlled waters and many water-treatment activities require an environmental permit under the Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations 2016. England: Environment Agency; Wales: NRW. Scotland: equivalent controls under the SEPA CAR regime.

permit Scotland Ongoing

Water environment authorisation — abstraction, impounding and discharge (Scotland CAR)

Enforced by: SEPA

The Environmental Authorisations (Scotland) Regulations 2018

Scottish equivalent of the England & Wales abstraction licence and environmental permit: abstracting or impounding raw water, and discharges/other water activities, require authorisation (permit, registration, notification or general binding rules) from the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) under the Environmental Authorisations (Scotland) Regulations 2018 (the current 'CAR' framework, which consolidated the former Water Environment (Controlled Activities) (Scotland) Regulations 2011).

registration England_Wales Ongoing

Reservoir registration and safety supervision

Enforced by: ENVIRONMENT_AGENCY

Reservoirs Act 1975; The Reservoirs Act 1975 (Capacity, Registration, Prescribed Forms, etc.) (England) Regulations 2013

Large raised reservoirs used for raw-water storage must be registered with the enforcement authority and supervised/inspected by a panel engineer under the Reservoirs Act 1975. England: Environment Agency; Wales: NRW. Scotland: Reservoirs (Scotland) Act 2011 (SEPA); NI: Reservoirs Act (Northern Ireland) 2015.

registration Scotland Ongoing

Reservoir registration and safety supervision (Scotland)

Enforced by: SEPA

Reservoirs (Scotland) Act 2011

Scottish equivalent of the reservoir safety regime: controlled reservoirs used for raw-water storage must be registered with SEPA (the enforcement authority) and supervised/inspected by a qualified engineer under the Reservoirs (Scotland) Act 2011.

registration Ni Ongoing

Reservoir registration and safety supervision (Northern Ireland)

Enforced by: DFI

Reservoirs Act (Northern Ireland) 2015

Northern Ireland equivalent of the reservoir safety regime: controlled (high/medium consequence) reservoirs used for raw-water storage must be registered and supervised/inspected by a suitably qualified engineer under the Reservoirs Act (Northern Ireland) 2015, with the Department for Infrastructure (DfI) as the competent enforcement authority (function transferred from DAERA on 1 June 2021). No graph regulator code for DfI — use literal 'dfi'.

compliance England_Wales Ongoing

Water supply (water fittings) standards

Enforced by: DWI

Water Supply (Water Fittings) Regulations 1999

Water undertakers must enforce the Water Supply (Water Fittings) Regulations 1999 to prevent waste, misuse, contamination and backflow in the supply system, and must be notified of certain installations. Scotland: Water Supply (Water Fittings) (Scotland) Byelaws 2014.

compliance Great_Britain Ongoing

Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 — general duties

Enforced by: HSE

Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974

General duty to ensure the health, safety and welfare of employees and others affected by the business — treatment works, confined spaces, chemical dosing and lone working are significant hazards in this sector.

insurance Great_Britain Annual

Employers' Liability Insurance

Enforced by: HSE

Employers' Liability (Compulsory Insurance) Act 1969

Compulsory for any business employing at least one person.

registration Uk Annual

UK GDPR + Data Protection Act 2018

Enforced by: ICO

Data Protection Act 2018; UK GDPR (retained EU law)

Water undertakers process extensive customer billing and metering personal data. ICO registration unless specifically exempt.

compliance Great_Britain Ongoing

Equality Act 2010 — protected characteristics

Enforced by: EHRC

Equality Act 2010

No discrimination in employment or in the provision of water services to the public (including priority-services registers for vulnerable customers).