Ordinances

1. Name and Objects

The name of the Company shall be “The Worshipful Company of Water Conservators” and its objects shall be as follows:

1. To promote the development and advancement of the science art and practice of water and environmental management and the various scientific subjects related thereto together with the promotion and management of the treatment of water and wastewater domestic and industrial the management of rivers and water courses and the prevention or control of water pollution and any other aspect of water conservation and management relating thereto for the benefit of the public and to afford means of professional and social intercourse and the exchange of information between members of the Company those who practice water and environmental management and those who benefit therefrom and in furtherance of the said objects and intentions but not in any way in limitation thereof.
2. To purchase or take on lease hire or otherwise acquire and maintain a hall institute library or other building or premises and any real or personal property within the City of London for the furtherance of the objects of the Company.
3. To create and accumulate funds for the benefit of members of the Company and to apply the same for the purposes of advancement of the interests of the Company and its members the relief of existing members retired or members suffering hardship and other necessitous persons engaged or having been engaged in water and environmental management and the wives widows children orphans and others depending upon them and for education in matters relating to the profession of water and environmental management and for scholarships prizes and research in connection therewith and for any charitable objects.
4. To accept any securities or trusts for the above purposes.
5. To promote support and encourage standards of excellence integrity and honourable practice in conducting the profession of water and environmental management.
6. To aid Societies and Institutions connected with such professions.
7. To apply to the Court of Assistants when the time shall seem meet to Her Majesty in Council for a Charter of Incorporation.
8. The doing of all things incidental or conducive to the objects aforesaid or any of them.
9. Any one or more of these Ordinances in which the masculine gender and/or singular number only is used shall have the same force and effect where the circumstances so admit or require as if the feminine gender and/or the plural number had also been used.

2. Governing Body

1. The affairs of the Company shall be managed by a Court which shall consist of a Master a Thames Warden a Fleet Warden a Walbrook Warden and not less than ten or more than twenty-four Assistants all such members of the Court being Freemen of the Company and of the City and Liverymen of the Company.
2. Upon the death resignation or removal of any member of the Court or whensoever the Court shall decide to increase the number of Assistants within or up to the limit prescribed the Court shall elect a fit and proper person or persons who shall be a Freeman or Freemen of the Company and of the City and a Liveryman or Liverymen of the Company willing to serve the office of Assistant in the room and stead of the person or persons so dying resigning or being removed or to increase the number of Assistants aforesaid.
3. Masters of the Company shall on vacating the office of Master remain members of the Court for a period of four years thereafter and shall retire from the Court at the end of such period of time.
4. Every member of the Court shall on election pay the Fine and satisfy the Court that he is prepared to serve the office of Warden and Master in due course and shall on admission make the prescribed declaration and sign the Roll.
5. The Court shall meet at least quarterly and one of such meetings to be known as the Election Court shall be held in the month of April or May every year.
6. The Master or in his absence the Thames Warden shall preside at meetings of the Court. In the absence of both the Master and the Thames Warden the Fleet Warden or if not present the Walbrook Warden shall preside.
7. At least one third of the members of the Court shall constitute a quorum but no meeting shall be held unless the Master or a Warden is present.
8. The decision of the Master or a Warden if acting as Chairman shall be conclusive on all points of order.
9. At any meeting of the Court at which a resolution to elect an Assistant is proposed any two members of the Court may demand a ballot and in case of equality of voting the Chairman shall exercise a casting vote.

3. Election of Master and Wardens

The Master the Thames Warden the Fleet Warden and the Walbrook Warden shall be elected out of the members of the Court at the Election Court (held in April or May every year) and the same shall be admitted to office at a meeting of the Court to be held in the month of July every year.

4. Election of Clerk and Beadle

The Court shall from time to time elect one fit person to be its Clerk and if it shall think meet one fit person or persons to be its Deputy Clerk or Assistant Clerk or Clerks and one fit person or persons to be its Beadle or Beadles.

The Clerk and the Deputy Clerk and or Assistant Clerk or Clerks shall always be guaranteed with reputable insurers under a Fidelity Guarantee Bond for such sums as the Court may require the Company paying the premiums.

5. Casual Vacancies

In the event of the death retirement or removal of a Master or Warden the Court shall have power to make a temporary appointment for the remainder of the term of office of the person or persons so dying retiring or being removed.

6. Freedom of the Company

1. Freedom of the Company shall be limited to those who have been or are corporate members of professional bodies concerned with water and environmental management the supply and distribution of water to the nation the collection and treatment of wastewater and associated environmental matters and the senior officers present or past of such professional bodies as aforesaid as the Court in its absolute discretion shall approve. Senior members and staff or water companies manufacturers or builders of plant or other equipment and organisations and individuals providing services for water and environmental management shall also be eligible to apply to be a Freemen as the Court in its absolute discretion may approve provided they have been proposed and seconded in the manner prescribed by the Court from time to time.
2. When it shall happen that the child of a Freeman of the Company and of the City of London born after such Freeman shall have obtained the Freedom of the City shall have attained the age of not less than twenty-one years and be desirous of taking up the Freedom of the Company and of the City of London the Court shall admit them to the Freedom of the Company by Patrimony and present them to the Chamberlain of London to be made a Freeman of the City and such Freedom so obtained shall be deemed to be Freedom by Patrimony according to the Custom of London. Any such Freeman shall be liable to pay such dues as the Court shall from time to time decide.
3. When it shall happen that a person is apprenticed to a Freeman of the Company and of the City of London the Company shall cause a record of the Indentures of such apprentice to be entered in the books of the Company and the Master of such apprentice shall cause the Indentures to be entered in the books of the Chamber of London to the intent that such apprentice having served the term of their apprenticeship shall on proof of faithful service be admitted to the Freedom of the Company and be presented to the Chamber of London to be made a Freeman of the City of London and any such Freedom so obtained shall be deemed to be Freedom by Servitude according to the Custom of London. Any such Freeman shall be liable to pay such dues as the Court shall from time to time decide.
4. All Freemen upon admission to the Company shall make and sign such Declarations as shall from time to time be prescribed. It is intended that Freemen of the Company shall at all times reflect a reasonable balance between all branches of water and environmental management that is to say the scientific industrial commercial financial and administrative aspects thereof. The Court shall have the exclusive power to elect and order the admission of the Freemen of the Company.
5. The Court shall have power to invite and to elect to the Honorary Freedom of the Company suitable individuals who have made a notable contribution to the professions as contemplated in (a) above of this clause.
6. If the conduct or circumstances of a Freeman shall in the opinion of the Court or any twenty members of the Company (who shall certify in writing) be injurious to the character and interest of the Company the Court shall have power without assigning any reason to exclude him or her from active participation in the affairs benefits and amenities of the Company either generally or for any specified period of time. The powers given to the Court by this clause shall only be exercised at a meeting of the Court in respect of which not less than fourteen days notice was given to every member of the Court of the intention to bring under consideration at that meeting the conduct of the person concerned. Before exercising any such power the person concerned shall be given the opportunity of being heard either by the Court itself or by a Committee thereof.

7. Duties of the Clerk

1. The Clerk shall keep the Minutes of all meetings and the financial accounts of the Company.
2. The Clerk shall issue summonses to all meetings subject to the direction of the Master.
3. The Clerk shall be responsible for implementing all decisions made by the Court.

8. Audit of Accounts

The Court shall appoint at the Election Court one or more qualified Auditors not being members of the Court to examine the report on the accounts of the Company.

9. Activities

1. The Court may appoint such Committees for general or special purposes as it shall deem expedient provided that such Committees shall not disburse any moneys belonging to the Company except by express sanction of the Court.
2. The Court may also appoint such professional or technical advisers to attend Court or Committee meetings from time to time as it may deem expedient.
3. The Court may at its discretion arrange an Annual Conference an Annual Banquet and such other meetings and activities of the members of the Company as it may deem expedient.

10. Admission of Freemen to Livery

The Court shall and may subject to the Order of the Court of Mayor and Aldermen dated 1st day of January 2000, and to such Orders of the said Court of Mayor and Aldermen as may hereafter be made, call, nominate, choose, elect, and admit into the Livery of the Company such and so many persons being Freemen of the Company and of the City of London as it shall think meet and able to be of the same Livery.

11. Fines Fees and Quarterages

The fines Fees and Quarterages shall be such sums as the Court shall from time to time determine. Any change in the amount of the said Livery fine shall be notified by the Clerk in writing to the Chamberlain of London.

12. Declarations

The Master, Wardens, Assistants, Liverymen and Freemen shall upon admission make and sign such declarations as shall from time to time be prescribed.

13. Custody of Books etc

The Books Records and other property excluding Securities of the Company shall be kept in such custody as the Court shall from time to time determine.

14. Election of Trustees

The Court shall from time to time appoint not less than four nor more than six Trustees being members of the Court and may in addition appoint a Trust Corporation which Trustees to be Trustees of the Company’s Trust Funds such Trustees and/or Trust Corporation shall have the custody of all Documents of Title and Securities of the Company. Upon any Trustee ceasing to be a member of the Court they shall forthwith vacate the office of Trustee.

15. Amendment of Ordinances

Notice of motion to repeal or amend or add to these Ordinances shall be sent to the Clerk in writing twenty-eight days before a meeting of the Court and such notice must be included in the summons convening the Court. Any motion to repeal amend or add to these Ordinances shall not be declared carried except by the votes of two-thirds of the members present and voting and if declared carried shall not come into force until the same shall have received all necessary approval including approval by the Court of Mayor and Aldermen of the City of London.