Water Act, 1989

Amongst the most controversial of the Government's privatization plans has been the move to privatize the water industry in England and Wales. There is widespread concern with the proposals, given form in the "Water Act 1989", for the handling of this vital resource. The main provisions of the Water Act include: new framework for the law relating to water supply; new National Rivers Authority to take up the regulatory functions of the existing water authorities; formulation of the legal rights and obligations of property owners in relation to sewers and drains; new set of responsibilities upon local authorities, and the introduction of companies as water and sewage operators. The Act introduces fundamental and complex changes to the provision of water services, and the full text is reproduced in this volume with a general introduction and detailed, section by section, commentary. The practical tone of the commentary will prove a reliable guide for all those who work in the water industry, for those advising on the implications of the Act and to practitioners and conveyancers concerned with the law on the provision of water and sewage services.