New Scottish Water Byelaws Introduced

New water Byelaws have been introduced in Scotland replacing those brought in a decade ago.

The Byelaws have been created and are enforced by Scottish Water and must be adhered to in all properties in Scotland which have a public water supply. The Scottish Water Byelaws 2004 have now been replaced by The Water Supply (Water Fittings) (Scotland) Byelaws 2014 which came into force on 12th July 2014.

Changes include, wording amendments in Schedule 2 -paragraph 14(a) to make it clear that paragraph 14 also applies to water fittings conveying grey water as well as and reclaimed water; in Schedule 1 -paragraph 3(b) to clarify that fluid category 3 also includes other chloride-based disinfectants and other common disinfectants and also all references to "domestic equipment" have been changed to "equipment or appliances supplied with water for domestic purposes" drawing on the proper definition of the term and to limit confusion.

Tommy Seggie, Byelaws Co-Ordinator, Scottish Water, said:“The main aim of the Water Byelaws is to prevent contamination of the public water supply, and also to help prevent waste, misuse, and undue consumption of water.

“Scottish Water has a legal obligation to enforce the Water Byelaws and, in accordance with the Water Quality Regulations, monitor the quality of water supplied to ensure water quality standards are maintained to customers’ taps.

“It’s been almost 10 years since our last review and taking in to account the legislative and technical changes, a new, up-to-date version came into force from 12th July 2014.

"The Water Byelaws set out standards for internal plumbing systems and, as a result, help protect the health of customers by protecting drinking water within homes and business premises.”

Owners and occupiers of premises, and anyone who installs or maintains plumbing systems and water fittings in the country, have a legal obligation to ensure that the systems and fittings meet the requirements of the Scottish Water Byelaws. Failure to do so could lead to enforcement notices being issued requiring the work to be put right at the owner or occupier’s expense, the water company could also refuse a mains water connection altogether or criminal prosecution may be sought.

General information on Water Byelaws issues, FAQ’s and useful links can be found on the Scottish Water website.