PART I | 1. This Act may be cited as the Public Utilities Act. |
2. In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires —| “apparatus” means any water apparatus, equipment or accessory and includes all apparatus, devices and fittings in which pipes are used or of which they form a part; |
| “approved person” means a person given written approval under section 41 to supply piped water suitable for drinking; [Act 11 of 2018 wef 25/03/2019] |
| “authorised officer” means an officer or employee of the Board, or an officer of any other statutory authority, authorised by the Board under section 10(6); [Act 9 of 2012 wef 01/09/2012] |
| “Board” means the Public Utilities Board reconstituted under the Public Utilities Act (Cap. 261, 1996 Ed.) in force before 1st April 2001 and continued by section 3; |
| “Chairman” means the Chairman of the Board and includes any temporary Chairman of the Board; |
| “Chief Executive” means the Chief Executive of the Board, and includes any individual acting in that capacity; [Act 5 of 2018 wef 01/04/2018] |
| “Coastal and Flood Protection Fund” means the fund of that name established under section 18; [Act 13 of 2020 wef 01/04/2020] |
“coastal hazard” means any of the following:| (a) | beach or foreshore erosion; | | (b) | coastal slope instability; | | (c) | coastal inundation; | | (d) | tidal inundation; | | (e) | erosion and inundation of the coastal zone caused by tidal waters and the action of waves, including the interaction of those waters with catchment floodwaters; [Act 13 of 2020 wef 01/04/2020] |
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| “coastal management” includes the protection, conservation, rehabilitation and management of the coastal zone to mitigate current and future risks from coastal hazards, taking into account the effects of climate change; [Act 13 of 2020 wef 01/04/2020] |
“coastal zone” means any of the following in Singapore:| (a) | littoral beaches, foreshores, tidal wetlands, estuaries, coastal swamps, mangrove areas, littoral forests or minor coastal streams, whether or not of a saline, freshwater or brackish nature; | | (b) | all other areas at risk of being affected by coastal hazards, taking into account the effects of climate change; [Act 13 of 2020 wef 01/04/2020] |
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| “connecting pipe” means a pipe from a water main to the meter position; [Act 11 of 2018 wef 01/04/2018] |
| “consumer” means a person who is supplied with water or whose premises are for the time being connected for the purpose of a supply of water with any system of supply; |
| “Deputy Chairman” means the Deputy Chairman of the Board and includes any temporary Deputy Chairman of the Board; |
| “discharge pipe” means a pipe that enables any sewage or sullage water to be conveyed from a sanitary appliance or floor trap to a drain-line; [Act 11 of 2018 wef 01/04/2018] |
| “drain-line” has the same meaning as in section 2 of the Sewerage and Drainage Act (Cap. 294); [Act 11 of 2018 wef 01/04/2018] |
| “foreshore” means the land lying between the high water mark and low water mark of the sea as is ordinarily covered and uncovered by the flow and ebb of the tide at spring tides; [Act 13 of 2020 wef 01/04/2020] |
| “installation” includes any plant or apparatus designed for the collection, conveyance, production, supply or use of water; [Act 11 of 2018 wef 01/04/2018] |
| [Deleted by Act 11 of 2018 wef 01/04/2018] |
| “licensed plumber” means an individual who holds a plumber’s licence; [Act 11 of 2018 wef 01/04/2018] |
| “limited WSI design works” means the designing of any water service installation that is to be installed downstream of a meter, where the water service installation being designed does not include any pumping equipment or storage tank; [Act 11 of 2018 wef 01/04/2018] |
| “main” means a pipe through which water is or can be supplied or conveyed, whether the pipe is in use or not; [Act 11 of 2018 wef 01/04/2018] |
| “master meter” means a meter registering water, all or part of which is subsequently registered by one or more sub-meters; |
| “member” means any member of the Board; |
| “meter” means any appliance or device to measure, ascertain or regulate the amount of water taken from a supply or conveyance of water to any place; [Act 11 of 2018 wef 01/04/2018] |
| “occupier” means the person in occupation of any premises and includes the person having the charge, management or control of the premises either on his own account or as agent of another person, but does not include a lodger; |
| “plumber’s licence” means a licence granted under section 40J; [Act 11 of 2018 wef 01/04/2018] |
| “premises” includes buildings, structures, streets, lands, waters, tenements, easements of any tenure, whether State land or not, whether open or enclosed, whether built on or not, whether public or private, and whether maintained or not under statutory authority; |
| “professional engineer” means an individual who is registered as a professional engineer under the Professional Engineers Act (Cap. 253) and has in force a practising certificate issued under that Act; [Act 11 of 2018 wef 01/04/2018] |
| “regulated works” means any sanitary works, limited WSI design works or WSI works, but does not include any of such works as the Minister may, after consulting the Board, prescribe by order in the Gazette; [Act 11 of 2018 wef 01/04/2018] |
| “sanitary appliances” and “sanitary facilities” have the same meanings as in section 2 of the Sewerage and Drainage Act; [Act 11 of 2018 wef 01/04/2018] |
“sanitary works” means —| (a) | constructing, altering, repairing, replacing, discontinuing or closing up any discharge pipe, ventilating pipe, drain-line, fitting, floor trap, inspection chamber, grease trap, pump or any other appurtenance related to the conveyance of sewage or sullage water from any sanitary appliance or sanitary facility to a sewerage system; and | | (b) | installing, fixing, altering, repairing or removing a sanitary appliance or sanitary facility, and any other connected works; [Act 11 of 2018 wef 01/04/2018] |
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| “sewage” and “sewerage system” have the same meanings as in section 2 of the Sewerage and Drainage Act (Cap. 294); [Act 11 of 2018 wef 01/04/2018] |
“storage tank” means any tank or storage cistern that has a free water surface under atmospheric pressure, but does not include —| (a) | a flushing cistern; or | | (b) | a drinking-trough or drinking-bowl for animals (including poultry); [Act 11 of 2018 wef 01/04/2018] |
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“street” includes —| (a) | any road, highway, square, footway or passage, whether a thoroughfare or not, over which the public has a right of way, the way over any public bridge; | | (b) | any road, footway or passage, open court or open alley, used or intended to be used as a means to access to 2 or more holdings, whether the public has a right of way thereover or not; and | | (c) | all channels, sewers, drains, tunnels, ditches and reserves at the side of a street; |
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| “ventilating pipe” means a pipe provided to limit the pressure fluctuations in any discharge pipe; [Act 11 of 2018 wef 01/04/2018] |
“vessel” means —| (a) | a ship, a boat, an air-cushioned vehicle or any other similar craft used in any reservoir or waterway, however moved or propelled; or | | (b) | a barge, a lighter, a rig, a platform or any other floating structure, that may or may not be moved or propelled; [Act 11 of 2018 wef 01/04/2018] |
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“water fitting” means —| (a) | any pipe that is not a water main; | | (b) | any pipe fitting, tap, cock, valve or ferrule; | | (c) | any meter; or | | (d) | any flushing cistern, |
| and any other similar apparatus used in connection with the supply or conveyance, and use, of water; |
[Act 11 of 2018 wef 01/04/2018] |
| “water installation” means any water-retaining structure, pumping station, pipe, water fitting, apparatus or appliance used for the supply or conveyance of water; [Act 11 of 2018 wef 01/04/2018] |
| “water main” means any pipe used or to be used for the conveyance of water, other than a connecting pipe; [Act 11 of 2018 wef 01/04/2018] |
“water service installation” —| (a) | in relation to water supplied by the Board, means any installation within any premises including any pipe, water fitting, apparatus or appliance, connecting a meter to the premises and used for the supply of the Board’s water thereto, but does not include any installation for the disposal of any waste, sullage water or sewage; | | (b) | in relation to water supplied by an approved person, means —| (i) | any installation within any premises including any pipe, water fitting, apparatus or appliance used for the supply of the approved person’s water thereto; or | | (ii) | if a meter is provided, any installation within any premises including any pipe, water fitting, apparatus or appliance, connecting the meter to the premises and used for the supply of the approved person’s water thereto, |
| but does not include any installation for the disposal of any waste, sullage water or sewage, or any installation or water installation of the Board; |
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| [Deleted by Act 11 of 2018 wef 01/04/2018] |
| [Deleted by Act 11 of 2018 wef 01/04/2018] |
| [Deleted by Act 11 of 2018 wef 01/04/2018] |
“water suitable for drinking” means —| (a) | potable water; and | | (b) | any water held out by a person who supplies it as potable water, |
| but does not include any water intended for consumption solely by animals; |
[Act 11 of 2018 wef 25/03/2019] |
| “waterway” means a navigable river, conduit or drain; [Act 11 of 2018 wef 01/04/2018] [Act 9 of 2012 wef 01/09/2012] |
| “WSI design works” means the designing of any water service installation that is to be installed downstream of a meter, and includes any limited WSI design works; [Act 11 of 2018 wef 01/04/2018] |
| “WSI works” means any works on any water service installation including constructing, erecting, installing, maintaining, altering, repairing or replacing the water service installation. [Act 11 of 2018 wef 01/04/2018] |
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