Water Industry Act 1991 (Chapter 56).

The 223 sections of the Act are divided into 8 Parts: Preliminary (I); Appointment and Regulation of Undertakers (II); Water Supply (III); Sewerage Services (IV); Financial Provisions (V); Undertakers' Powers and Works (VI); Information Provisions (VII); Miscellaneous and Supplemental (VIII). The text is completed by 15 Schedules.
The Director General of Water Services ("the Director") shall be continued under this Act for the purpose of carrying out functions under this Act (sect. 1). Section 2 sets out the general duties, and sections 3 and 4 duties with respect to environment protection, of the Director and the Secretary of State. Companies may be appointed to be water undertakers or sewerage undertakers for an area of England and Wales. Water undertakers shall be a limited company or a statutory water company and sewerage undertakers shall be a limited company (sect. 6). Continuity of appointments shall be guaranteed by the Secretary of State (sect. 7). Conditions of appointment may be modified by the Director subject to consent of the appointed company (sect. 13). Chapter III of Part II makes provision for the protection of customers of water and sewerage undertakers. Provisions of Chapter II of Part III formulate the duty of the water undertaker to supply water to a customer and other obligations of the water supplier. Chapter III prescribe obligations of undertakers with respect to quality and sufficiency of water supplied. The manner of fixing water supply or sewerage charges is set out in sections falling under Chapter I of Part V. Chapter II instead, deals with financial assistance to water supply undertakers supplying water in rural areas.