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by Megan Darby
Scottish ministers are to be duty-bound to develop the economic value of Scotland’s water resources, under legislation introduced at Holyrood last week.
The Water Resources (Scotland) Bill also sets out new powers and responsibilities for Scottish Water, in particular to use its assets for renewable energy generation.
It takes forward the Scottish Government’s vision for Scotland to become a “Hydro Nation”.
Scottish Water, which recently launched an international division and expanded renewable energy activities in line with the Hydro Nation agenda, welcomed the Bill.
Gordon Downie, partner at Edinburgh-based law firm Shepherd & Wedderburn, said: “It is very much about Scotland reaching out to the world rather than being, as water legislation often is, introspective and focused on the domestic agenda.”
Subsidiaries of Scottish Water will be enabled to seek private sources of finance. Core functions will remain publicly funded until after the question of Scottish independence is settled.
Other parts of the Bill deal with a range of matters, including drought, catchment management and damage to sewers.
Consumer Focus Scotland welcomed the Bill and said consumers would have a large role to play in making the best use of “our valuable water resource”.
The Bill will go to committee after the summer recess and could be enacted by early spring 2013.
Scots consumers ‘unaware of water rights’
Consumer Focus Scotland (CFS) has called on Scottish Water to make it easier for customers to find information on their rights. The watchdog’s request came after a survey found fewer than one in ten respondents knew they could claim compensation if guaranteed service standards were not met.
Trisha McAuley, deputy director of CFS, said: “It is good news that Scottish Water has put assurances in place for customers, but the bad news is that people are simply not aware of these guarantees.”
This article first appeared in Utility Week’s print edition of 6 July 2012.
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