Water Services Act 2007

62.

Nuisances in sewers, drainage of premises, etc.

62.— (1) It shall be lawful for a water services authority after 7 days notice in writing to the occupier of the land in which such sewer or part thereof is situated or, in case of emergency, without notice or after shorter notice, to cause such tests to be carried out as it considers necessary, or cause such sewers, or part thereof to be opened and examined, and for those purposes to cause any necessary openings and excavations to be made, where it appears to the water services authority that a sewer or part thereof may—

(a) be, or may be likely to become inadequate, defective, foul or neglected,

(b) cause a risk to human health or the environment, or

(c) permit infiltration or exfiltration of water or waste water.

(2) If a sewer, or part thereof, is found on an examination or test under subsection (1) of this section not to be inadequate, defective, foul or neglected, or cause a risk to human health or the environment or permit infiltration of water, the water services authority which authorised the examination shall, subject to subsections (4) and (5), cause such sewer to be restored and any openings or excavations made in connection with the examination to be closed or filled up and any damage done to be made good.

(3) If a sewer, or part thereof, is found following test or examination under subsection (1) to be inadequate, defective, foul or neglected and any works are necessary for the abatement or prevention of risk to human health or the environment or the infiltration of water, the following provisions shall have effect:

(a) the water services authority may, at its absolute discretion—

(i) execute such works in the first instance or in the event of failure to comply with a notice under subparagraph (ii), or

(ii) direct the owner of the sewer by notice to execute such works;

(b) the water services authority may recover the cost of such works (including the cost of the test or examination) from the owner of the sewer.

(4) If a drain or related service connection or part thereof is found on investigation by a water services authority not to be inadequate, defective, foul or neglected or to permit the infiltration or exfiltration of water or waste water, but it appears to the water services authority that any separate premises drained by such system or part thereof is not drained satisfactorily, the water services authority may serve notice on the owner in accordance with section 42 , or may provide or contribute to the cost of providing drainage for the premises.

(5) If a drain or related service connection or part thereof is found on investigation by a water services authority to be inadequate, defective, foul or neglected or to permit infiltration or exfiltration of water or waste water, and it appears to the water services authority that after executing the necessary remedial works, any premises would still not be drained satisfactorily, such water services authority may serve on the owner of such premises a notice under section 42, or may provide or contribute to the cost of providing drainage for the premises.

(6) Where a drain or service connection used for the whole or any part of the drainage of the premises, to which this section refers, is used in common by two or more premises, notice under section 42 may be served on any one or more of the owners, and it shall not be necessary to serve such notice on all such owners.

(7) For the purposes of this section, any drain, toilet or washing facility shall be regarded as part of the drain of the premises which it serves.

(8) A person who fails to comply with a direction under subsection (3)(a)(ii) commits an offence.