Interpretation

In these Regulations, unless the context otherwise requires“Act” means the Environmental Protection Act; CAP.328. “Class I waters” means waters that, due to inherent or unique environmental characteristics or fragile biological or ecological characteristics or human use, are particularly sensitive to the impacts of domestic effluent. Class I waters include, but are not limited to– (a) waters containing coral reefs, seagrass beds, or mangroves; (b) critical breeding, nursery or forage areas for aquatic and terrestrial life; (c) areas that provide habitat for species protected under the Protocol Concerning Specially 54 Environmental Protection Protected Areas and Wildlife to the Convention (the SPAW Protocol); (d) protected areas listed in the SPAW Protocol; and (e) water used for recreation. “Class II waters” means waters other than Class I waters, that due to oceanographic, hydrologic, climatic or other factors are less sensitive to the impacts of domestic effluent and where humans or living resources that are likely to be adversely affected by the discharges are not exposed to such discharges; “Department” means the Department of the Environment established under section 3 of the Act; “Domestic effluent” means all discharges from households, commercial facilities, hotels, septage and any other entity whose discharge includes the following– (a) toilet flushing (black water); (b) discharges from showers, wash basins, kitchens and laundries (grey water); or (c) discharges from small industries, provided their composition and quantity are compatible with treatment in a domestic wastewater “effluent” means sewage or industrial effluent; “Existing domestic wastewater systems” means a publicly or privately owned domestic wastewater collection systems, or collection and treatment systems, that were constructed prior to December 2000. Environmental Protection 55 “Household systems” means on-site domestic wastewater disposal systems for homes and small commercial businesses in areas of low population density, or where centralized collection and treatment systems of domestic wastewater are not economically or technologically feasible. Household systems include, but are not limited to, septic tanks and drain fields or mounds, holding tanks, latrines and bio–digesting toilets; “industrial effluent” means any liquid water or wastewater discharged from any industrial or commercial premises; “inland waters” includes any reservoir, pond, lake, river, stream, canal, drain, spring or well, any part of the sea abutting on the foreshore, and any other body of natural or artificial surface or subsurface water; “licence” means a licence granted to a person under these Regulations; “licensed premises” means premises occupied by a person who is the holder of a licence issued in respect of the premises under these Regulations; “New domestic wastewater systems” means publicly or privately owned domestic wastewater collection systems, or collection and treatment systems, that includes existing domestic wastewater systems which have been subject to substantial modifications after such entry into force; First Schedule. Second Schedule. “parameter” means any of the factors shown in the first column of the First Schedule or of the Second Schedule and any other factors which may be prescribed. “sewage” means any liquid waste or wastewater discharge containing human, animal or vegetable matter in suspension or solution, and may include liquids containing chemicals in solution; 56 Environmental Protection “sewer” means any line of pipes or channel with their appurtenances designed and used to convey effluent; “sewerage system” means a system incorporating sewers and all other structures, devices, equipment, and appurtenances intended for the collection, transportation, and pumping of effluent including a treatment plant; “treatment plant” means any facility for the conditioning of effluent to effect reduction or partial reduction of its potential to cause pollution; “Wastewater collection systems” means any collection or conveyance system designed to collect or channel domestic wastewater from multiple sources.