47.— (1) Each water services authority, the Minister or other person prescribed shall—

(a) carry out, or cause to be carried out, such monitoring or inspection of water services operations as it, he or she considers to be necessary for the performance of their functions under this Act, and

(b) keep and maintain or cause to be kept and maintained, such records of any monitoring or inspections carried out under paragraph (a) as it, he or she considers reasonable and necessary.

(2) Where it appears necessary to do so for any purpose of this Act, a water services authority, the Minister or other person prescribed may require any person who is in control of a water service—

(a) to carry out or arrange to have carried out such monitoring, at such frequency (including continuous monitoring by electronic means or otherwise) in relation to the activity concerned as it, he or she may specify,

(b) to keep and to supply to the water services authority, the Minister or other person prescribed such records of said monitoring or inspection as it, he or she may specify, or

(c) to provide meters, gauges, manholes or inspection chambers or any other apparatus for the purposes of this section.

(3) Each water services authority or other person prescribed shall, if so requested by the Minister, supply to the Minister or to any person specified by the Minister, at such intervals and in such manner as the Minister may require, records of any monitoring or inspection carried out under this section that are in its, his or her possession or control.

(4) Each water services authority, the Minister or other prescribed person, shall carry out or take or cause to be carried out or taken such monitoring or other measures as it, he or she considers necessary to verify that any monitoring, or records of such monitoring, required under subsection (2) are being properly carried out or retained, as the case may be.

(5) Without prejudice to any other provision of this Act, the Minister may make regulations requiring the making of payments by any person for the purpose of defraying costs which may be incurred by a water services authority, the Minister or other prescribed person in carrying out any monitoring or inspection or taking other measures under this section in relation to the activities of that person.

(6) A payment which is required under regulations under this section, shall be payable on demand by the person concerned.