Water industry regulator Ofwat has issued a statement to clarify its position on highway drainage - which it now considers may previously have been unclear.

In  2011, Ofwat published a policy statement on New Appointments and Variations - the policy now states the following with regard to highway drainage:

"The Highways Agency and local highways authorities are responsible for managing the drainage of run-off from motorways and the road network effectively. Section 146 of the WIA91 prohibits sewerage undertakers from charging The Highways Agency and local highways authorities for the drainage of highways.  Sewerage undertakers bear the costs of this highway drainage, which means that the generality of customers must cover these costs through their sewerage bills."

"In general, a new appointee should pay the existing appointee for highway drainage if its site is connected to the existing appointee’s sewerage network. We expect highway drainage to be covered in bulk discharge agreements between the new appointee and the existing appointee."

"In circumstances where a new appointee is not connected to the existing appointee’s sewerage network, it should not pay the existing appointee for highway drainage, but should instead charge its own customers for its costs of draining the highways in its area."

Click here to access the clarified statement of policy.