A duty imposed on a water undertaker under section 52 above—
to provide a supply of water to any premises; or
to maintain a connection between a water main and a service pipe by which such a supply is provided,
shall be owed to the consumer.
Where a duty is owed by virtue of this section to any person, any breach of that duty which causes that person to sustain loss or damage shall be actionable at the suit of that person; but, in any proceedings brought against a water undertaker in pursuance of this subsection, it shall be a defence for the undertaker to show that it took all reasonable steps and exercised all due diligence to avoid the breach.