
1 
These Regulations may be cited as the Water Supply and Sewerage Services (Customer Service Standards) (Amendment) Regulations 1993 and shall come into force on 1st April 1993.
2 
The Water Supply and Sewerage Services (Customer Service Standards) Regulations 1989 are amended in accordance with the provisions of the Schedule to these Regulations.
David Hunt
Secretary of State for Wales
5th March 1993Michael Howard
Secretary of State for the Environment
8th March 1993
SCHEDULE
Regulation 2
1 
In regulation 2 (interpretation)—
(a) for the definition of “the 1989 Act” there shall be substituted the following—“
 “the 1991 Act” means the Water Industry Act 1991;”
(b) in the definition of “customer”, in paragraph (b)—
(i) for the word “domestic” there shall be substituted the word “any”;
(ii) sub-paragraph (i) shall be omitted;
(iii) in sub-paragraph (ii), at the end there shall be added the words “or in respect of any one act or omission relating to the same premises”;
(c) the definition of “domestic premises” shall be omitted.
2 
In regulation 3 (keeping appointments)—
(a) in paragraph (1), the word “domestic” shall be omitted;
(b) after paragraph (1) there shall be inserted the following paragraph—“
(1A) Where this regulation applies, the notice referred to in paragraph (1) shall specify whether the visit will be made not later than 1.00p.m. or after 1.00p.m. on the appointed day.”;
(c) for paragraph (2) there shall be substituted the following paragraph—“
(2) Where this regulation applies the undertaker shall, except in the circumstances described in paragraph (3), pay to the customer (or credit to his account) the sum of £10 if—
(a) the notice given by the undertaker does not specify whether the visit will be made not later than or after 1.00p.m.; or
(b) a visit is not made on the appointed day, or is not made not later than or, as the case may be, after 1.00p.m. on that day as specified in the notice.”;
(d) paragraph (3)(d) and the word “or” immediately preceding it shall be omitted;
(e) in paragraph (4), after the words “on the appointed day” there shall be inserted the words “and not later than or, as the case may be, after 1.00p.m.”.
3 
In regulation 4 (account queries and requests about payment arrangements)—
(a) in paragraph (1), the words “to domestic premises” shall be omitted;
(b) in paragraph (2), for “£5” there shall be substituted “£10”;
(c) paragraph (3)(f) and the word “or” immediately preceding it shall be omitted;
(d) at the end there shall be added the following paragraph—“
(4) References in this regulation to the arrangements by which a customer makes payments include references to arrangements for payment by instalments, and references to a change in such arrangements include references to a change in the frequency of payments.”.
4 
In regulation 5 (complaints about water or sewerage services)—
(a) for paragraph (1) there shall be substituted the following paragraph—“
(1) This regulation applies where a customer complains in writing—
(a) to a water undertaker in connection with the supply of water;
(b) to a sewerage undertaker in connection with the provision of sewerage services.”;
(b) in paragraph (2), for “£5” there shall be substituted “£10”;
(c) paragraph (3)(e) shall be omitted;
(d) in paragraph (4), for the words “section 73 of the 1989 Act” there shall be substituted the words “section 97 of the 1991 Act”.
5 
In regulation 6 (notice of interruption of supply)—
(a) in paragraph (1)—
(i) the word “domestic” shall be omitted;
(ii) for the words “section 49(2) of the 1989 Act” there shall be substituted the words “section 60(3) of the 1991 Act”;
(b) in paragraph (2)—
(i) the word “domestic” shall be omitted;
(ii) for the words “section 49(2) of the 1989 Act” there shall be substituted the words “section 60(3) of the 1991 Act”;
(c) at the end there shall be added the following paragraphs—“
(3) Where the supply of water to premises is cut off as described in paragraph (1) for more than four hours and the undertaker fails to give the notice referred to in that paragraph at least 24 hours before the supply is cut off, the undertaker shall, except in the circumstances described in paragraph (4), pay to the affected customer (or credit to his account) the sum of £10.
(4) The circumstances described in this paragraph are—
(a) that industrial action by the employees of the undertaker or the act or default of a person other than an officer, employee or agent of the undertaker or a person acting on behalf of its agent made it impracticable to give the notice at least 24 hours before the water supply was cut off; or
(b) that the customer has not made a written claim for a payment under this regulation within 3 months following the date on which the supply was cut off.”.
6 
In regulation 7 (entitlement to a payment or credit where supply not duly restored)—
(a) in paragraph (1), the word “domestic” shall be omitted;
(b) in paragraph (2), for “£5” there shall be substituted “£10”;
(c) in paragraph (2)(b), for “72 hours” there shall be substituted “48 hours”;
(d) in paragraph (3), for “£5” in both places where it occurs there shall be substituted “£10”.
7 
After regulation 7 there shall be inserted the following regulations—“
7A 

(1) Where a customer who is entitled to do so requests a water undertaker to install a meter the undertaker shall install the meter within 15 working days of payment of the installation charge, and where the installation charge is payable by instalments the undertaker shall install the meter within 15 working days of payment of the first such instalment.
(2) If a water undertaker fails to install a meter in accordance with paragraph (1) the undertaker shall, except in the circumstances described in paragraph (3), pay to the customer (or credit to his account) the sum of £10.
(3) The circumstances described in this paragraph are that severe weather conditions or industrial action by the employees of the undertaker or the act or default of a person other than an officer, employee or agent of the undertaker or a person acting on behalf of its agent made it impracticable to install the meter within the relevant period.
(4) In this regulation, “meter” means any apparatus for measuring or showing the volume of water supplied to any premises.
7B 

(1) Effluent from a sewer which is vested in a sewerage undertaker shall not enter a customer’s building.
(2) Where effluent from a sewer which is vested in a sewerage undertaker does enter a customer’s building the undertaker shall, except in the circumstances described in paragraph (3), pay to the customer (or credit to his account) whichever is the lesser of—
(a) a sum equal to the sewerage charges payable by him to the undertaker for the financial year in which the incident occurs; and
(b) the sum of £1,000.
(3) The circumstances described in this paragraph are—
(a) that a payment under this regulation has already been made to the customer in respect of the same financial year; or
(b) that the entry of effluent was caused by one or more of the following, namely—
(i) exceptional weather conditions;
(ii) industrial action by the employees of the undertaker;
(iii) the actions of the customer or any defect, inadequacy or blockage in his drains or sewers; or
(c) that the customer has not made a written claim for a payment under this regulation within 3 months following the date on which the effluent entered his building.
(4) For the purposes of this regulation—
(a) “building” includes a space beneath a suspended floor of a building;
(b) effluent shall not be treated as entering a building while it is in a drain or sewer.
7C 

(1) Where a water or sewerage undertaker is required by regulation 3, 4, 5 or 7A to make a payment to a customer or to credit a sum to his account, the undertaker shall make the payment or, as the case may be, credit the sum to the customer’s account within 10 working days of the sum becoming payable.
(2) Where an undertaker fails to make a payment or credit a sum in accordance with paragraph (1), the undertaker shall pay to the customer (or credit to his account) a further sum of £10 if the customer makes a written claim for a payment under this regulation within3 months of the payment or credit referred to in paragraph (1) becoming payable.”
8 
For regulation 9 (general exclusion where customer in arrears) there shall be substituted the following regulation—“
9 

(1) If at the material time a customer owes money to an undertaker and the debt has been outstanding for more than 6 weeks, any payment from the undertaker to which the customer is entitled under these Regulations shall, to the extent that it does not exceed the amount so owed, be made by way of a credit to his account.
(2) In this regulation, “the material time” means—
(a) in relation to any payment under regulation 3, 4, 5 or 7A, the time when the payment becomes payable;
(b) in relation to any other payment, the time when the customer makes a written claim for payment.”.