What are 'Codes for Adoption'?

 

The Water Act 2014 introduced changes to the Water Industry Act 1991 (WIA91) requiring Ofwat to issue statutory codes for adoption agreements. These are the agreements that developers or self-lay providers (SLPs) enter into when they want an appointed water or sewerage company to take over responsibility for infrastructure they have constructed. They are the agreements entered into under Section 51A WIA91 for water infrastructure, and under Section 104 WIA91 for sewerage infrastructure.

The Codes were introduced by Ofwat to ensure a consistent approach in the sector, that developers, new appointees and SLPs, are provided with confidence that they will receive the services they want from water companies to enable their own business in providing contestable services.

An Ofwat set of documents can be found below and also on the Water UK website.

Following the implementation of Codes for Adoption, all water companies are required to publish certain documents which we have detailed below.