Laying of supply pipes, etc

(1) An owner or occupier of any premises who desires to have a supply of water for domestic purposes from a licensee shall, subject as hereinafter provided, make application therefore to the licensee who may if he approves, lay the necessary supply pipe. (2) At or before the time of making such application, the owner or occupier shall pay or tender to the licensee such sum as may be payable in advance by way of water rate in respect of his premises. (3) If so directed by the licensee, the owner or occupier shall lay the supply pipe at his own expense, having first obtained the consent of the owner of any land not forming part of a street, being land intervening between the communication pipe and the premises to be supplied with water except that, where and part of the supply pipe is to be laid in a highway, he shall not himself break open the highway or lay that part of the pipe. (4) Where the licensee lays the supply pipe on behalf of the owner or occupier– (a) he shall first obtain the consent of the owner of any land not forming part of a street, being land intervening between the communication pipe and the premises to be supplied with (b) the expenses reasonably incurred by the licensee in executing the work shall be repaid to him by the owner or occupier respectively, and may be recovered by the licensee from the owner or occupier as a civil debt. (5) Notwithstanding anything in sub-sections (1) to (4), the licensee to whom such an application as aforesaid is made may within seven days after the receipt thereof, require the person making the application either to pay to him in advance the cost of the work, in accordance with the scale of charges prescribed therefore, or to give security for payment thereof to his satisfaction.