Commentary on Sections Part 3: Miscellaneous 413. .Section 92: Self-lay and adoption of water mains and service pipes.
This section provides five new sections 51A to 51E. New Section 51A sets out the steps and agreement that must be entered into by a developer or self lay organization proposing to construct domestic water mains or service pipes which are to be vested in the water undertaker. It provides that the main must be built in accordance with the agreement with the water undertaker to enable it to be adopted on completion. The provisions do not prevent agreements being entered into in relation to declarations of vesting for pipes used for non-domestic supplies.
414.New Section 51B sets out the situations where appeals can be made to the Authority if the undertaker refuses to enter into an adoption agreement on reasonable terms.
415.New section 51C provides that the person who enters into the adoption agreement relating to a water main shall pay the undertaker's reasonable costs of incorporating the water main within its existing water mains network. It also provides for an offset payment to be made by the undertaker to the developer or self lay organisation equivalent to the discounted estimated sum of water charges for the first twelve years in respect of premises expected to be connected to the new main.
416.New section 51D provides that if anyone other than a water undertaker builds a water main or service pipe which will be used for supplying water for domestic or food production purposes, the pipe must not be connected unless it vests in the undertaker.
417.New section 51E is supplementary to sections 51A to 51D and Subsections (2) to (7) make minor amendments to sections 45, 47, 179, 198 and 219 of the WIA.