Water Supply Regulations 1961 Reprinted 1999

use any water fitting which is of such a nature or is so arranged or connected, as to cause or permit, or be likely to cause or permit, waste, undue consumption, misuse, erroneous measurement or contamination of water, or reverberation in pipes;

use any water fitting which is not in accordance with such of the particular requirements of these Regulations as may be applicable to it; or

arrange, connect, disconnect, alter or renew any water fitting in contravention of any requirement of these Regulations.

Special provision relating to fittings in existence when regulations commence.

Nothing in these Regulations shall be construed to require any person to alter or renew any water fitting lawfully fixed at the date when these Regulations come into force, or to provide any addition thereto, unless such fitting is, in the opinion of the Water

Authority, so defective or in such a condition or position as to cause, or be likely to cause, waste, undue consumption, misuse, erroneous measurement or contamination of water supplied by the Water Authority, or reverberation in pipes.

If any person has failed, after being given notice in writing by the Water Authority, to alter or renew any such fitting, the Water Authority may, by its servants or agents, enter upon the premises whereon such fitting is and make such alteration or renewal as may be necessary, and may recover the cost thereof from the consumer.

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When regulations not to apply.

taken by meter;

discharged openly into cistern from a point not less than six inches above the over-flowing level thereof; and

conveyed therefrom for use in some industrial or research process, the following regulations, other than regulation 40 shall not, to the extent to which the nature of any such process renders compliance with any of these Regulations impracticable, apply in relation to any water fitting conveying water from such cistern and used solely in connection with such process.

Powers to relax regulations.

when specially sanctioned in writing by the authorised officer;

as flushing pipes from flushing cistern to water closets or urinals; or

as connection pieces not exceeding eighteen inches long between a flushing cistern, a bath or a wash-hand basin and the pipes supplying such fitting.

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Lead pipes.

Every service pipe, communication pipe, supply pipe, distributing pipe, flushing pipe and warning pipe of lead or lead alloy shall comply with the relevant B.S. Specification

–

B.S.S. 602: 1956 Lead pipes for other than chemical purposes; or

B.S.S. 1085: 1956 Lead Pipes (silver-copper-lead alloy).

No pipe shall, in any case, be of less weight per lineal yard than the minimum weight per lineal yard specified in appropriate B.S.S. to withstand the maximum working pressure to which the pipe is liable to be subjected under all working conditions.

Cast iron and asbestos pipes.

Every service pipe or distribution pipe of cast iron (vertically cast), or of spun cast iron or asbestos cement, shall be of sufficient strength to withstand a test pressure of not less than double the pressure to which the pipe will be liable to be subjected under working conditions, and, subject thereto, shall comply with the appropriate British Standard

Specification as follows –

Material of Pipe

British Standard Specification

The joint used with such pipes shall be of a type approved by the Water

Authority.

Every asbestos pipe shall be coated inside and out, with a paint or other coating to the approval of the Water Authority.

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Wrought iron and steel pipes.

Every service pipe, communication pipe or distributing pipe of wrought iron or steel shall comply with the requirements of B.S.S. 1378: 1957 for steel tubes and tubulars and shall be not less than the dimensions specified for “Heavy tube” in that specification; and every such pipe shall be efficiently protected against external corrosion and, unless forming part of a close circuit from which water is not drawn, against internal corrosion. Such protection shall be to the entire satisfaction of the Water Authority.

Every malleable cast iron fitting used in connection with any such pipe shall comply with the relevant British Standard Specification. All pipe threads used in connection with this pipe or associated fittings shall be British Standard Pipe Thread in accordance with B.S.S. 21: 1957.

Copper pipes.

Every service pipe or distributing pipe of copper connected by means of screw joints shall comply with –

Copper alloy pipe fittings and copper alloy three piece fittings or unions for copper pipes shall be screwed in accordance with B.S.S. 61: Part II, 1946, and shall comply respectively with B.S.S. 99: 1922 and B.S.S. 66: 1914.

Cast copper alloy pipe fittings for copper pipes screwed in accordance with

Table 4 of B.S.S. 61: Part II, 1946, shall comply with the relevant requirements of B.S.S.

143: 1952 or B.S.S. 1256: 1952 for malleable cast iron or cast copper alloy fittings.

Connection of copper pipes by means of capillary or compression fittings.

Every bib, pillar, globe and stop tap of the ordinary screw-down pattern, and of a nominal size not exceeding two inches, shall comply B.S.S. 1010: 1959 for such taps.

Every bib, pillar, globe and stop tap, not being of the ordinary screw-down pattern, shall be capable of resisting a pressure of at least three hundred pounds to the square inch; and every valve, spindle and other internal part, and, where the normal size of the tap does not exceed two inches, the body thereof, shall be made of a corrosion-resisting alloy.

Every sluice valve of a nominal size of two inches or more shall comply with

B.S.S. 1218: 1946 for sluice valves for waterworks purposes, except that it shall open by means of a clockwise motion.

Requirements as to ball taps fixed to cistern.

Every ball tap or valve of the “Portsmouth” type, and of a nominal size not exceeding two inches, shall comply with B.S.S. 1212: 1953 for such a tap or valve.

Every ball tap or valve, not being of the “Portsmouth” type, shall comply with the following requirements –

if made of mild steel, comply with the requirements for cylinders or tanks, as the case may be, of B.S.S. 417: 1951 for galvanised mild steel cisterns, tanks and cylinders; and

if made of copper, comply with B.S.S. 699: 1951 for copper cylinders for domestic purposes (grades 1, 2 and 3).

Design of flushing cistern.

under a roadway or pavement 24 inches 30 inches

not under a roadway or pavement 18 inches 30 inches

Provided that this regulation shall not apply to any pipe which is used only for a temporary purpose.

Pipes not to be laid through sewers, etc..

No service pipe, communicating pipe or distributing pipe shall be so laid as to pass into or through any sewer, drain or cesspool, or any manhole connected therewith, or into or through any ashpit or manure pit and, except where unavoidable, shall not be laid through, or allowed to remain in contact with, any foul soil or any material of such a nature that it would be likely to cause undue deterioration of such pipe. Where the laying of any such pipe through foul soil or injurious material cannot be avoided, the pipe shall be efficiently protected from contact with such soil or material either by being carried through an exterior corrosion-resisting tube or by some other suitable means.

No service pipe shall be laid underneath any building or structure, unless adequately surrounded by a duct of sufficient size to allow withdrawal of the pipe for repair.

Protection of water fittings.

In addition to any stopcock fitted by the Water Authority in pursuance of regulation 32, every service pipe supplying water to any building, or to any part of a building, the supply to which is separately chargeable, shall be fitted with a stop tap inside, and as near as practicable to the point of entry of such pipe into the building or part thereof, and on the consumer’s side of the meter.

Where the last such stop tap has an internal diameter of less than two inches it shall comply with the requirements for stop taps as contained in B.S.S. 1010: 1959 for bib, pillar globe and stop taps.

Where such stop tap has an internal diameter of more than two inches, it shall comply with B.S.S. 1218: 1946 for sluice valves for waterworks purposes, and shall open in clockwise direction.

Where such stop tap has an internal diameter of two inches, it shall conform with the requirements of one or other of the paragraphs (2) and (3).

Stop tap on outlet pipe.

Every storage cistern not used as a feed cistern shall have a capacity of not less than twenty-five gallons, and, if used both as a feed cistern and a storage cistern for other purpose, shall have a capacity of not less than fifty gallons.

Every feed cistern supplying cold water to a hot water pressure vessel shall have a capacity of not less than twenty-five gallons.

Cold water storage cistern not exceeding one thousand gallons to comply with certain requirements.

it shall be fitted with an efficient warning pipe and with no other overflow pipe;

the internal diameter of the warning pipe shall be greater than the internal diameter of the inlet pipe and, in no case, less than three-quarters of an inch;

and

the overflowing level of the warning pipe shall be set –

below the top edge of the cistern at a distance of not less than twice the diameter of the warning pipe; and

it shall be fitted with an efficient overflow pipe and, if such overflow pipe is not a warning pipe, shall also be fitted with an efficient warning pipe or some other effective device so arranged as to indicate when the water in the cistern reaches a level not less than two inches below the overflowing level of the overflow pipe;

where a warning pipe, but no other overflow pipe, is fitted, the warning pipe shall comply with the requirements of paragraphs (b) and (c) of regulation 45;

and

where both a warning pipe and an overflow pipe are fitted, the internal diameter of the warning pipe shall be not less than one inch.

Storage cistern not to be sunk in the ground.

the top edge of the cistern is not less than nine inches above ground level;

the cistern fitted with an efficient waring or overflow pipe as required by regulations 45 and 46, as the case may be, and which will discharge above the surrounding ground level;

the water from the Water Authority’s mains is discharged into the cistern at a level not less than six inches above the invert of the overflow pipe; and

all other necessary steps are taken in the construction of the cistern to prevent waste, undue consumption, misuse or contamination of the water.

Provisions as to hot water apparatus.

a thermostatically controlled electric storage water heater of a capacity not exceeding three gallons; or

a gas geyser or multipoint heater of a capacity not exceeding three gallons, fitted with an inlet valve automatically controlling both gas and water so that no gas can be released, otherwise than through a bypass, by the apparatus unless water is flowing through a geyser or heater, and not fitted with a packed gland or spindle through which any leakage between the gas and water spaces could occur, if, in either case, the apparatus is not thereby subjected to a working pressure higher than that for which it is designed, is controlled by a stop tap inlet, and has no tap or other means of controlling the flow of water at the outlet, and if every discharge point is in the open air above the overflowing level of any bath, lavatory basin, sink, or other appliance supplied therefrom.

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Hot water apparatus connected to service pipe not to have connection on outlet side with fitting containing water supplied otherwise than through apparatus.

both the hot water apparatus and the other source are supplied with water direct from a service pipe from the mains of the Water Authority; or

both the hot water apparatus and the other source are supplied with water from the mains of the Water Authority through a feed cistern.

Situation of outlet when cold water supplied to hot water apparatus from a feed cistern.

the use of cast iron pipes of less than two-inches internal diameter, if suitable provision for their expansion is made; or

the use of non-galvanised steel or wrought iron pipes, if they form part of a closed circuit from which water is not drawn.

Hot water supply apparatus.

in the case of a hot water cistern in which water is heated only by thermostatically controlled gas or electricity and the storage cistern, cylinder or tank has a capacity of not less than two hundred gallons, this regulation shall apply with the substitution of the fraction “three-fourths” for the fraction

“one-fourth”;

in the case of a hot water cistern comprising more than one hot water pressure vessel at different levels, this regulation shall apply only to the lowest pressure vessel; and

this regulation shall not apply in the case of an open vessel in which water is directly heated.

Provisions as to inlets and outlets of baths, etc..

a storage cistern supplying water to such apparatus only; or

a flushing cistern.

Water closet and urinal to have flushing cistern.

Every water closet every urinal shall be provided with a flushing cistern, or with some other equally efficient and suitable flushing apparatus.

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Every flushing cistern or range of flushing cisterns shall, wherever practicable, be controlled by a stop tap by means of which the flushing cistern or range of flushing cisterns can be closed off without shutting down the rest of the water fittings on the premises, and this stop tap shall have a crutch head or hand wheel securely fixed to it.

Flushing apparatus for urinal shall be hand operated unless authorised officer approves automatic flushing.

An earth-wire connecting an electrical installation to a water or service pipe shall be used only –

In no case shall an earth connected be made to a distribution pipe and any such earth connection existing at the date of the coming into operation of these Regulations shall be removed and re-connected to a service pipe in the manner hereinafter specified, within three months of the coming into operation of these Regulations.

All earth connection to water mains or service pipes shall be such as to ensure an efficient electrical connection without damage to the main or the pipe and shall be made in accordance with such rules for the supply of electricity as may be in force at the time.

Earth connections to buried water mains or buried service pipes shall only be made after notice to and in a manner approved by the Water Authority.

Wherever an earth connection is made to a service pipe on any premises to which water is supplied by meter or where provision has been made for the installation of a meter, either –

Where the Water Authority has reason to believe that damage to water mains or water pipes is being caused by an excessive flow of current from an earth connection made to a service pipe or water main, it may require the removal of the earth connection from the pipe or the main.

When premises are supplied with water from the water main or service pipes made wholly or in part of non-electrical conducting materials, the Water Authority may prohibit the earthing of electrical installations to such water mains or service pipes if, in its opinion such water mains or pipes are unlikely to form an efficient earthing medium, and existing earth connections to such mains or pipes shall be removed within fourteen days of notice of the prohibition being served on the consumer.

No consumer shall have more than one communication pipe to the same premises except with the approval of the Water Authority.

No service pipe or distributing pipe shall be extended so that the water can be drawn therefrom for any other premises.

No communication pipe shall be tapped to give a supply of water to any other consumer except with the consent in writing of –

Paragraph (3) of this regulation shall not apply in the case of a block of flats or group of houses on the same holding and under the same ownership. The owner of such property may tap a communication pipe supplying one of the flats or houses to supply other flats or houses within the holding on obtaining the prior approval of the Water Authority which shall be satisfied that the communication pipe is adequate to meet the requirements of all consumers.

Except with the consent of the Water Authority no supply shall be given to any consumer otherwise than through a meter.

Applications for new or extended supplies for alteration, disconnection or reconnection of supply.

Any consumer wishing to have his water service cut off or reconnected shall make written application on such form as the Water Authority may require giving at least three days notice of the date on which he desires the cut off or reconnection to be affected.

Any consumer who fails to comply with paragraph (1) of this regulation in respect of disconnection of water supply shall, notwithstanding the fact that he may have vacated the premises concerned, be held liable for the payment of all water consumed on the premises until the Water Authority disconnects the supply or until some other consumer assumes responsibility for such payment, whichever event first occurs.

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Installation of communication pipe and meter.

The installation of the communication pipe and the fixing of the meter for private supplies shall be carried out by the Water Authority which shall supply all labour required and which may, at its discretion, supply part or all necessary fitting at the expense of the consumer.

Should the Water Authority desire to lay public main in lieu of part of a communication pipe, the additional cost of laying the main instead of the communication pipe shall be borne by the Water Authority and the main will thereupon vest in the Water

Authority.

Charges for connection to the main, for fixing the meter and turning on the water shall as prescribed by the Water Authority. These charges together with the estimated cost of the labour in paragraph (1) of this regulation shall be secured by a deposit to be paid by the consumer before work is commenced.

The cost of re-instatement of any road or path resulting from a connection to a main installed under this regulation shall lie upon the consumer and is not included in the charges prescribed in subregulation (3).

Permission to construct a fire service in premises may be granted by the Water

Authority to enable water to be drawn from the waterworks for the purpose of combating fire in such premises.

Such permission shall be subject to such conditions as the Water Authority may require.

Fees payable.

it shall be constructed of reinforced concrete or other approved type of construction, in accordance with a specification and design approved by the

Water Authority before work thereon is commenced. Any leakage from the pool, measured from the water line at which the bath is designed to be used shall not exceed one-eighth of an inch in twenty-four hours, due allowance being made for evaporation from the surface of the water;

Every standpipe which is accessible to the public shall, unless exempted by the Water Authority in writing, be provided with a non-concussive self-closing or other suitable waste-preventing tap.

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Water taken from a public standpipe shall be drawn into a vessel or receptacle except when required for drinking purposes by wayfarers.

No person shall use a public standpipe for bathing or for washing persons, animals, clothing or other articles.

Every person who shall draw water from a public standpipe shall thereafter completely close the tap on the pipe.

No hose shall be attached to the tap of any standpipe.

No operating handle of any tap on a standpipe shall be fixed or tied by any person so that a continuous discharge of water results but shall only be operated by the hand of the person wishing to draw water from the standpipe.

Purposes for which water may not be used.

for operating a water-cooled refrigerating apparatus;

for operating any apparatus depending while in use upon a supply of continuously running water, not being an apparatus used solely for heating the water;

for cleaning, regenerating or supplying motive power to any apparatus used for softening water;

for a fountain or other ornamental device;

in connection with any surgery, dental surgery or laboratory; or

for the manufacture of aerated water in a soda fountain or similar device.

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The Water Authority may at its discretion change a meter at any time.

The Water Authority may at its discretion remove the meter from any supply and during the period for which the water is not registered by a meter, the volume of water consumed shall be deemed to be the same as the average volume supplied during a period of three months immediately preceding the removal of the meter provided that the consumer may require a meter to be installed if the period during which the supply has not been metered exceeds twelve months.

Testing of meters.

A consumer who doubts the accuracy of the meter which measures his water supply may, upon payment of the deposit equal to the fee laid down in the First

Schedule hereto have such meter tested by the Water Authority and the consumer shall be deemed to have agreed that the result of such test shall be binding upon him.

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A meter shall be said to register correctly when the inaccuracy does not exceed three per cent.

In the event of the meter being found to over-register, the deposit shall be refunded to the consumer. If the meter is found to be correct or to under-register, the deposit shall be forfeited and shall be credited to the revenue of the Water Authority.

When it is shown to the satisfaction of the Water Authority that a meter has, from any cause, failed to register correctly the volume of water supplied to any premises, the charges to be made in respect of any month or part of a month during which, in the opinion of the Water Authority, such failure has continued shall be –

After the expiration of a period of twelve months from the date on which these Regulations shall come into force, no person excepting the authorised officers of the

Water Authority shall carry out any works connected with construction, fixing, alteration or repair of water pipes and fittings which carry or are to carry water supplied

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from the public mains, unless he is in possession of a valid plumbers licence granted under these Regulations.

Such licences shall be granted to persons (or firms employing persons) who shall, after due examination, satisfy the Water Authority that they possess the requisite qualifications.

Such licence shall be in such form as prescribed by the Water Authority which shall specify the period for which it shall remain in force and the class of work the licensee is authorised to undertake, and shall be revocable at any time at the absolute discretion of the Water Authority without compensation.

A fee shall be paid before any licence shall be granted and an annual fee shall be paid for any renewal of such licence. Such fees shall be at the rates laid down in the

First Schedule hereto.

A licensed plumber shall keep and maintain all plants, tools and stocks of material as may be deemed necessary by the Water Authority for the installation or repair of private supplies.

Notice to be given by licensed plumber.

Every consumer or licensed plumber on his behalf who requires to instal a new supply or an extended supply of water from the public main, or to alter an existing supply of water from the public main (other than a repair or renewal to any premises) shall, before any water pipe or water fitting is fixed in or in connection with such supply, give the Water

Authority at least three days’ notice of his intention to fix such pipe or fitting.

A consumer or licensed plumber may be required to send any pipe or fittings he intends to install in any supply to the Water Authority for examination and test.

Examination and test on completion of private supply.

On completion of all the private piping and fittings installed in connection with a new, extended or altered private supply or fire service, the consumer or licensed plumber shall notify the Water Authority that these are ready for examination and test and submit an application on such form as the Water Authority may require for a connection to the waterworks.

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The service pipe from the meter (or, if there be no meter from such suitable point as the Water Authority may direct) and all pipes and fittings which have been fixed in connection with the installation may be subjected to such tests as the Water Authority considers necessary, and the consumer or licensed plumber shall give such assistance on the premises as to enable such examination and test to be carried out.

If the installation shall prove satisfactory on examination and test, and the consumer has signed the appropriate undertakings in the form required by the Water

Authority the connection to the main and installation of the meter will be carried out by the

Water Authority at the cost of the consumer.

Notice regarding faults.

under paragraph (a) of section 16 of the Ordinance, notice will be given in the

Gazette or in any newspaper circulating in the area approved by the Water

Authority;

under paragraph (b) of section 16 of the Ordinance, notice will be served by hand in Form 2 in the Third Schedule hereto on the consumer affected; and

under paragraphs (c), (d), (e) and (f) of section 16 of the Ordinance, no notice will be given.

In all the above cases, the Water Authority shall incur no liability for compensation to consumers or to any person whatsoever on account of restriction or suspension of the supply to any premises or to public standpipes.

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Disconnection of consumer.

Disconnection of the supply to any consumer under section 14 of the Ordinance may be affected by severing the inside service or by such other means as the Water

Authority may deem necessary.

Notice that the supply is to be disconnected shall be given in Form 2 in the Third

Schedule hereto.

After the requirements of the Ordinance have been complied with a fee as laid down in the First Schedule hereto shall be paid by the consumer for the reconnection of any supply so disconnected.

Consumer responsible for maintenance of inside service.

The responsibility for keeping an inside service including all fittings, clean and in good repair and in accordance with the standard set by these Regulations shall rest entirely with the consumer.

In the event of any defect in or of any pipes or fittings on the inside services of any premises being discovered to be unsatisfactory the Water Authority shall serve notice upon the consumer.

If any part of an inside service is discovered to be dirty and in the opinion of the Water Authority a possible source of pollution of the water in the mains, it shall be considered defective and notice will be served on the consumer accordingly.

If the defect to the inside service specified by notice under paragraph (3) duly served be not remedied within five days of the date of such notice or such extended time as the Water Authority shall consider necessary, the inside service shall be disconnected from the waterworks by the Water Authority under section 14 of the Ordinance after service of notice as in Form 2 in the Third Schedule hereto.

The Water Authority shall submit accounts for money due for water supplied.

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If in any case moneys due are not paid within fourteen days from the date of presentation of the account, a notice of intention to disconnect the service shall be sent by the Water Authority in Form 2 in the Third Schedule hereto:

Provided that nothing shall prevent action under section 14 or proceedings under section 18 of the Ordinance being taken without notice to the person in default.

The appropriate fee shall be payable by a consumer to whom a notice has been sent under the provisions of paragraph (2).

Payment of deposits.

In the case of a deposit requested to cover the amounts due or to become due for the chargeable water or an existing inside service, the service will be disconnected from the waterworks after service of a notice in Form 2 in the Third Schedule hereto if payment of the deposit is not made within fourteen days from the date of service of such notice.

In the case of a new inside service, a connection to the waterworks will not be given until payment of the specified deposit.

Deposits against payment of the amount due or to become due for chargeable water will be held until the inside service has been disconnected from the waterworks by the Water Authority at the request of the consumer and all amounts due for chargeable water have been paid by the consumer.

Fees.