Public Utilities (Water Supply) Regulations 1996

No. S 196

Public Utilities Act

(Chapter 261)

Public Utilities (Water Supply) Regulations 1996

In exercise of the powers conferred by section 130 of the Public Utilities Act, the Public Utilities Board, with the approval of the Minister for Trade and Industry, hereby makes the following Regulations:

PART I

PRELIMINARY

Citation and commencement

1. These Regulations may be cited as the Public Utilities (Water Supply) Regulations 1996 and shall come into operation on 3rd May 1996.

Definitions

2. In these Regulations, unless the context otherwise requires —

“authorised officer”, in relation to any powers and functions under these Regulations, means an officer of the Board authorised in that behalf by the Board;

“British Standard (BS)” means a standard or specification issued by the British Standards Institution;

“British Standard Code of Practice” means a code of practice issued by the British Standards Institution;

“building” means any structure (including a floating structure) whether of a permanent character or not, and whether movable or immovable, and, without prejudice to the generality of the foregoing, includes any caravan, vessel, boat or houseboat;

“capacity” means the volume of water which the cistern is capable of holding measured to its overflowing level;

“closed circuit” means any system of pipes and other water fittings through which water circulates and from which water is not drawn for use, and includes any vent-pipe fitted thereto but not the feed cistern or the cold feed pipe;

“connecting pipe” means that pipe from the water main to the meter position;

“consumer” includes any person or corporate body supplied or applying to be supplied with water by the Board, any person otherwise liable for the payment of water rates, charges or rent; and any owner or occupier of the premises supplied or to be supplied with water by the Board;

“corrosion-resisting material” means any material which is highly resistant to any corrosive action to which it is likely to be subjected in the circumstances in which it is used;

“cylinder” means a cylindrical closed vessel capable of containing water under pressure greater than atmospheric pressure;

“distributing pipe” means any pipe (other than an overflow pipe or a flush pipe) conveying water from a storage cistern, or from a hot water apparatus supplied from a feed cistern, under pressure by gravity or a boosting system from such cistern;

“feed cistern” means any storage cistern used for supplying cold water to a hot water apparatus;

“float-operated valve” means a valve for controlling the flow of water into a cistern, the valve being operated by the vertical movement of a float riding on the surface of the water;

“holder of a licence” means a holder of a valid licence issued under Part III;

“master meter” means a meter registering water all or part of which is subsequently registered by one or more sub-meters;

“meter” includes any appliance or device supplied by the Board to measure, ascertain or regulate the amount of water taken or used from the supply by the Board;

“meter position” means the position where a meter or master meter (not being a sub-meter) is installed;

“service pipe” means any pipe or part thereof which is downstream to the meter position and is meant for supplying water from a water main to any premises and is subject to water pressure from that main, or would be so subject but for the closing of some stop-valve;

“Singapore Standard (SS)” means a standard or specification issued by the former Singapore Institute of Standards and Industrial Research or the Singapore Productivity and Standards Board;

“stop-valve” means any device (including a stop-cock or stop-tap) other than a draw-off tap, for stopping at will the flow of water in a pipe;

“storage cistern” means any cistern, other than a flushing cistern, having a free water surface under atmospheric pressure, but does not include a drinking-trough or drinking-bowl for animals, including poultry;

“sub-meter” means any meter owned and maintained by the Board which registers all or part of any water which has already been metered since leaving the water main;

“tank” means a non-cylindrical closed vessel capable of containing water under pressure greater than atmospheric pressure;

“vehicle” means any vehicle whether mechanically propelled or otherwise;

“warning pipe” means an overflow pipe so fixed that its outlet, whether inside or outside a building, is in a conspicuous position where the discharge of any water therefrom can be readily seen;

“water fittings” include pipes (other than water mains), taps, cocks, valves, ferrules, meters, cisterns, baths, water-closets, soil pans and other similar apparatus used in connection with the supply and the use of water;

“water main” means any pipe vested in and belonging to or under the control of the Board and used for the conveyance of water but does not include a connecting pipe.

Compliance with standards

3.—(1) Where any requirement of any standard conflicts with a specific requirement of these Regulations, the latter requirement shall prevail.

(2) The Board or the authorised officer may exempt any person or premises or any class of persons or premises from any requirement of these Regulations or any standard upon such terms and conditions as the Board or the authorised officer thinks fit.

(3) Any person who fails to comply with any term or condition imposed by the Board or the authorised officer under this regulation shall be guilty of an offence under these Regulations.

(4) The Board may, from time to time, issue a Code of Practice on water supply or adopt any other relevant Code of Practice setting out the standards, designs, specifications, procedure and other requirements relating to any type or class of water service installation.

Made this 30th day of April 1996.

LEE EK TIENG

Chairman,
Public Utilities Board,
Singapore.

[AD/00301/1; AG/SL/3/95]

(To be presented to Parliament under section 130(4) of the Public Utilities Act).

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