9.15 Registration and refreshments
9.45 Introduction and overview of the issues surrounding the sewerage infrastructure
10.00 Sewers and drains
Definitions – History and why records (management information) are important
Definitions - Water Industry Act 1991 (as amended)
Legal responsibilities - Secretary of State, Water and Sewerage Companies (WASCs), Ofwat etc
How sewers become the responsibility of the WASCs
11.15 Refreshments break
11.30 Further ownership and responsibility issues
Public and private sewers – the current position
Attempts to improve the situation for new sewers and laterals
Water Act 2003
The current position of DEFRA & private sewers (and laterals) – including proposals for change
Condition of public sewers
Highway drains
12.45 Lunch
13.30 Maintenance issues for existing drains and sewers – dealing with problems
Powers of local authorities to investigate and intervene under the Building Act 1984 etc
Powers to require repair and unblocking of drains and sewers
Existing drains powers of sewerage undertaker- s113 WIA'91,
Notice of repairs etc (s61 Building Act 1984)
Public sewers, actions for injury and prohibitions on material not to be passed into such sewers
Enforcement of Statutory Notices
14.15 Recent cases of importance and their implications
East Riding of Yorkshire DC v Yorkshire Water Plc
Bradford MDC v Yorkshire Water Plc
Marcic v Thames Water Plc
LB Hounslow v Thames Water Utilities Ltd
Dobson and others v Thames Water Utilities Ltd (Water Services Regulation Authority (Ofwat)
R (on the application of Thames Water Utilities Ltd) v Bromley Magistrates’ Court
15.00 Introduction to case study scenarios
15.15 Refreshment break
15.30 Small group exercises
16.30 Workshop evaluation and close