Water Act 1973

The Water Act 1973 (1973 c.37) is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that reorganised the water industry in England and Wales. It was removed from local authority control, and ten larger water authorities were set up, under state control. Each authority consisted of members appointed by the Secretary of State for the Environment, and by the various local authorities in its area. Each authority's area was based on river catchments. The water authorities took over the powers and assets of the smaller River Authorities which had responsibility for control of water pollution, and the water supply utilities operated by local authorities and water boards.

The Act also established a National Water Council. this body consisted of a chairman nominated by the minister, the chairmen of each regional authority and not more than ten additional members nominated by the government. The Council's duties included implementing national water policy, assisting the ten regional authorities in matters of joint concern, and setting and enforcing national regulations and byelaws on water quality and conservation.

The Regional Water Authorities

*North West Water Authority - The areas of the Cumberland, Lancashire and Mersey and Weaver River Authorities
*Northumbrian Water Authority - The area of the Northumbrian River Authority
*Yorkshire Water Authority - The area of the Yorkshire River Authority
*Severn Trent Water Authority - The areas of the Severn and Trent River Authorities, except the part of the area of the Severn River Authority which wasincluded in the area of the Wessex Water Authority.
*Anglian Water Authority - The areas of the East Suffolk and Norfolk, Essex, Great Ouse, Lincolnshire and Welland and Nene River Authorities, except the part of the area of the Essex River Authority which is included in the area of the Thames Water Authority
*Thames Water - The Thames Catchment Area, the Lee Catchment Area and the London excluded area; The part of the area of the Essex River Authority the drainage of which is directed to the Thames above the point where the western boundary of the catchment area of the Mar Dyke meets the Thames; The part of the area of the Kent River Authority the drainage of which is directed to the Thames above Greenhithe.
**incorporating the Metropolitan Water Board
*Southern Water Authority - The Isle of Wight and the areas of the Hampshire, Kent and Sussex River Authorities, except the part of the area of the Kent River Authority which was included in the area of the Thames Water Authority.
*Wessex Water Authority - The areas of the Avon and Dorset, bristol Avon and Somerset River Authorities, except the part of the area of the Avon and Dorset River Authority which is included in the area of the South West Water Authority; The part of the area of the Severn River Authority the drainage of which is directed to the Severn below Sharpness.
*South West Water Authority - The areas of the Cornwall and Devon River Authorities; The part of the area of the Avon and Dorset River Authority the drainage of which is directed to the River Lim.
*Welsh National Water Development Authority

These ten companies were eventually privatised in the 1980s, broadly as-is. See Water privatization.