Background and Policy Objectives
3.The primary reason for the Act is to ensure that DRD continues to make subsidy payments to Northern Ireland Water (NI Water) in lieu of household water charges. Under Article 213(3) of the Water & Sewerage Services (Northern Ireland) Order 2006 (“the 2006 Order”), the Department is obliged to make grants to the undertaker equal to the amount of discounts provided to consumers in the “initial period”.
4.Prior to this Act the initial period was 6 years from the coming into operation of the 2006 Order. This provision expired on 31 March 2013. This Act amends the 2006 Order by making the initial period 9 years from the coming into operation of the 2006 Order i.e. until 31 March 2016.
5.The Act also enables water and sewerage undertakers to record their intention to carry out certain works on private land on the Statutory Charges Register held by Land Registers NI. Under Article 220 of the 2006 Order, water and sewerage undertakers are empowered to lay certain pipes and sewers on private land and carry out certain other works in support of that power. Before doing so, they are required to give notice to owners and occupiers. This Act requires notices relating to these powers to be registered in the statutory charges register which provides purchasers of land with an easy method of checking whether a property is affected by various statutory restrictions.