Commentary on provisions of the Act Section 4: Emergency overflows
This section inserts new Chapter 5 (emergency overflows) into Part 4 (sewerage services) of the Water Industry Act 1991 ("the 1991 Act") after Chapter 4 (storm overflows). Chapter 5 includes two new sections to require reporting on discharges from emergency overflows and establish the meaning of "emergency overflow".
	Although this section provides a statutory definition of emergency overflow for the first time, the concept of emergency overflow is not new. Emergency overflows have been permitted for many years under the Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations 2016 (and preceding regulations). The purpose of this section is to ensure that discharges from emergency overflows are reported within an hour of their starting and finishing.