Subject to the provisions of Part XII of this Act with respect to the breaking open of streets, and to the following provisions of this section, any owner or occupier of premises entitled under this Act to take a supply of water from the mains of a local authority may break open any street for the purpose of laying any necessary communication pipe and for the purpose of inspecting, repairing and renewing any communication pipe serving his premises.
A person who proposes to lay a pipe from his premises to communicate with a main of the local authority shall give to the authority notice of his proposals and they may, within twenty-one days after the receipt thereof, give notice to him that they intend themselves to make the communication and if, after such a notice has been given to him, he proceeds himself to make the communication, he shall be liable to a fine not exceeding fifty pounds.
Where a local authority have given such a notice as aforesaid, they shall have all such rights in respect of the making of the communication as the person desiring it to be made would have, but it shall not be obligatory on them to make the communication until the cost of the work as estimated by their surveyor has been paid to them, or security for payment has been given to their satisfaction.
If any payment so made to the local authority exceeds the expenses reasonably incurred by them in the execution of the work, the excess shall be repaid by them and, if and so far as those expenses are not covered by the payment, if any, made to them, they may recover the expenses, or the balance thereof, from the person for whom the work was done.
For the purposes of this section, the making of the communication with a main includes all such work as involves the breaking open of a street.