LEGISLATION
The powers and duties associated with the water industry in Scotland are primarily contained within five Scottish Acts of Parliament. The 1968 Sewerage Act and the 1980 Water Act, both of which have been heavily amended since their introduction define the powers and duties on those areas. The 2000 Public Finance and Accountability Act covers all public bodies in Scotland and defines how they should be accountable to Parliament. The Local Government etc. (Scotland) Act 1994 established 3 regional water authorities from 1 April 1996, taking over responsibility for water and sewerage services from the former regional councils. The 2002 Water Industry Act set up Scottish Water, the Drinking Water Quality Regulator and the Customer Consultation Panels while the Water Services etc. Act 2005 strengthened economic regulation by introducing the Water Industry Commission for Scotland, strengthened customer representation and introduced retail competition for non-domestic customers.
Beyond the five main acts there are some powers contained in the 2003 Water Environment Water Services Act, three sets of regulations and a number of Ministerial orders. These are all listed below.