(1)
In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires-
(a)
"action plan"
means the national water action plan prepared under section
16
;
(b)
"aquifer"
includes a geological structure or formation and an artificial landfill permeated or capable of being permeated permanently or intermittently with water;
(c)
"area"
includes a water supply area and sewerage area or either of them, as the case may be;
(d)
"authorised person"
means a person acting on behalf of the Minister or the director to whom powers have been delegated under section
11
and includes an officer, servant or agent of an authority or any person acting on behalf of the authority;
(e)
"authority"
includes a water authority or sewerage authority or either of them, as the case may be;
(f)
"borehole"
includes a borehole, well, excavation or other opening in the ground or any natural or artificially constructed or improved underground cavity which is used or extends to an aquifer-
(i)
for intercepting, collecting, obtaining or using ground water; or
(ii)
for disposing of any water or waste below the surface of the ground;
(g)
"building sewer"
in relation to land means any pipe conduit, underground gutter or channel provided on that land to convey sewage or trade waste, but does not include a sewer connection;
(h)
"connected fittings"
includes any water closet, urinal, sink, lavatory, bath cistern or other sanitary fittings;
(i)
"construct"
includes alter, improve, maintain and repair;
(j)
"director"
means the director of water development;
(k)
"domestic sewage"
includes faecal matter, urine, household slops and other liquid house refuse;
(l)
"domestic use"
includes use for the purpose of-
(i)
human consumption, washing and cooking by persons ordinarily resident on the land where the use occurs;
(ii)
watering not more than thirty livestock units;
(iii)
irrigating a subsistence garden; and
(iv)
watering a subsistence fish pond;
(m)
"easement"
means a right to enter on land owned or occupied by another person for all or any of the following purposes-
(i)
to construct works on or in that land;
(ii)
to store water on or in that land; or
(iii)
to carry water, drainage or waste under, through or over that land;
(n)
"environment"
means all aspects of the surroundings of humans, including the physical, biological, economic, cultural and social aspects;
(o)
"ground water"
means all water occurring or obtained from below the surface of the ground other than water contained in works, not being a borehole, for the distribution, reticulation, transportation, storage or treatment of water or waste and includes water occurring in or obtained from any borehole or aquifer;
(p)
"hydrological station"
includes a gauging, recording or monitoring station or an investigation or monitoring borehole or ancillary works constructed or installed on land;
(q)
"land"
includes premises;
(r)
"livestock unit"
means a mature animal with a live weight of 500 kilograms and for the purposes of this definition-
(i)
one head of cattle shall be deemed to be 0.7;
(ii)
one horse shall be deemed to be 0.6;
(iii)
one donkey shall be deemed to be 0.4;
(iv)
one goat shall be deemed to be 0.15;
(v)
one sheep shall be deemed to be 0.15, of a livestock unit;
(s)
"main"
means a main pipe forming part of the water supply system owned, operated or constructed by a water authority and includes any valves, meters, hydrants, access shafts, chambers and other fittings as may be necessary for proper functioning of the main pipe;
(t)
"Minister"
means the Minister responsible for water or natural resources;
(u)
"occupier"
means any person in occupation of the land or any part of the land or premises;
(i)
the person for the time being receiving the rent of the land in connection with which the word is used, whether on his or her own account or as agent or trustee for any other person; or
(ii)
the person who would receive the rent if the land were let to a tenant;
(w)
"performance contract"
means a contract made under section
48
;
(x)
"person"
includes any corporation, authorised officer, public authority, other legal entity or water users group constituted for the purpose of acting as an authority under this Act;
(y)
"pollute"
means directly or indirectly to alter the physical, thermal, chemical, biological or radioactive properties of any water so as to render the water less fit for any beneficial purpose for which it is, or may reasonably be, used or to cause a condition which is hazardous or potentially hazardous to public health, safety or welfare, or to animals, birds, fish or aquatic life or other organisms or to plants; and "pollution" has a corresponding meaning;
(z)
"premises"
includes any building or structure whether of a temporary or permanent nature and any vehicle or vessel;
(aa)
"private sewer"
includes a privately constructed pipe, conduit, underground gutter or channel, other than a building sewer, which may be connected to a private sewerage installation-
(i)
for the conveyance of sewage or trade waste; or
(ii)
for other private purposes and not being part of a public sewerage system vested in or constructed by a sewerage authority;
(bb)
"private sewerage installation"
includes a privately constructed latrine, septic tank or other sewerage system and all fittings connected to any of them but does not include a building sewer;
(cc)
"private water pipe"
means any pipe provided by the owner or occupier of land for the receipt of a water supply but does not include a water connection or main;
(dd)
"public authority"
includes Government Minister, government department, statutory authority or any local government body, including any body provided for in the Local Governments Act;
(ee)
"sewer connection"
means a connection provided by the sewerage authority or at the authority's directions for the conveyance of sewage or trade waste between a building sewer and a sewer at or near the boundary of that land;
(ff)
"sewerage area"
means an area declared as such under section
45
;
(gg)
"sewerage authority"
means a sewerage authority appointed under section
46
;
(hh)
"subsistence fish pond"
means a fish pond appurtenant to, or used in connection with, a dwelling or group of dwellings for subsistence of its residents, the produce of which is predominantly consumed by the residents and is not sold or bartered;
(ii)
"subsistence garden"
means a garden, not exceeding 0.5 hectare in area, appurtenant to, or used in connection with, a dwelling or group of dwellings for the subsistence of its residents, the produce of which is predominantly consumed by the residents and is not sold or bartered;
(jj)
"trade waste"
means waste declared to be waste under section
68
;
(kk)
"trade waste agreement"
means an agreement made under section
69
and includes a trade waste consent;
(ll)
"use", in relation to water, includes to withdraw, pump, extract, take, use or reuse or to divert for the purpose of using or reusing, that water;
(mm)
"waste"
includes sewage and any other matter or thing, whether wholly or partly in solid, liquid or gaseous state, which if added to any water may cause pollution;
(nn)
"waste discharge permit"
means a permit granted under section
29
;
(i)
water flowing or situated upon the surface of any land;
(ii)
water flowing or contained in-
(A)
any river, stream, watercourse or other natural course for water;
(B)
any lake, pan, swamp, marsh or spring, whether or not it has been altered or artificially improved;
(iv)
such other water as the Minister may from time to time declare to be water;
(pp)
"water authority"
means a water authority appointed under section
46
;
(qq)
"water connection"
means a connection provided by a water authority, or at its direction, for the conveyance of a water supply between a main and any private water pipe constructed on land, at or near the boundary of that land;
(rr)
"water permit"
means a permit issued under division 3;
(ss)
"Water Policy Committee"
means the committee established under section
9
;
(tt)
"water supply area"
means an area declared as such under section
45
;
(uu)
"works"
includes any works whatever which are related to or may affect the investigation, use, control, management or administration of any water or waste and any works, excavations or boreholes-
(i)
where water or waste may be used, extracted, collected, diverted, stored, conducted, regulated, controlled, supplied, discharged, treated or measured;
(ii)
where land may be drained;
(iii)
where flooding or erosion of land or siltation of water may be mitigated or prevented;
(iv)
partly or wholly situated within or on-
(A)
the bed or banks of any watercourse; or
(B)
any other source of water, by which any structure may be constructed or protected.
(2)
In this Act, unless the contrary intention appears, a reference to the Act includes regulations made under the Act.
(3)
In interpreting this Act, an interpretation which promotes the purposes of the Act must be preferred to one which does not.