The regulations, which were out for consultation until last November, would put a legal duty on landlords to provide water companies with details of their tenants.
The Welsh government said it was currently analysing the consultation responses but the Residential Landlords Association (RLA) and Water UK have both told Utility Week that the legislation was due to get through earlier this month.
Under the legislation, if landlords fail to provide the required information within a certain period, they would become jointly liable for payment of water bills, along with their tenants.
Richard Jones of the RLA, said: “They have delayed the introduction. They were talking about compulsion in March. They have now delayed that and said it will be sometime this year but have not been willing to commit to when.”
According to Jones the delay was due to the “pressure of business” in the Welsh Assembly.
Ian Donald, customer services director for Northumbrian Water, who is working with Water UK to launch an online portal where landlords can enter tenants’ details, told Utility Week it had been intended the portal would go live this month to meet the Welsh government’s expected legislation.
“The Welsh Government indicated it may introduce the legislation at the beginning of March and we were asked to have the portal ready before that legislation – we rushed things a bit and got to that point. The legislation hasn’t come in however,” he said.
Trade body Water UK also confirmed to Utility Week that it had been trying to fast track the portal to get it ready in time for a Welsh decision, but did not know why there had been a delay.
The portal is now being soft launched and is expected to go live in May.
A spokesperson for the Welsh government said it was currently analysing the consultation responses and would publish a summary of responses and its intended next steps “shortly.”
Welsh Water also confirmed it had received no official communication on the subject from the Welsh government.