This Act makes provision with respect to the management and conservation of water resources in England and Wales. It aims at the sustainable use of water resources, the protection of water consumer interests and the strengthening of competition in the field of water services and the promotion of water conservation. The Act amends the Water Resources Act 1991 to improve long-term water resource management by: creating two new forms of abstraction licence; regulating anew abstraction and irrigation rights; empowering the Environment Agency to revoke or vary an abstraction licence without compensation if it has not been used for four years; and removing the entitlement to compensation if the Secretary of State directs that a licence without a time limit should be curtailed on the grounds of serious environmental damage. It also amends the Water Industry Act 1991 so as to require water companies to prepare and publicise drought plans, to agree on and publicise water resource management plans and to further water conservation. The Act further makes provision for the better operation and regulation of the water industry, concerns flood-defence, includes provisions which aim to increase the opportunities for competition in the supply of water services and in general provides for the improvement of competition in the water industry, sustainable use of water resources and water conservation.
Royaume-Uni de Grande-Bretagne et d'Irlande du Nord · 2003-11-20