Sewerage, Drainage and Coastal Protection Act 1999

Sewerage, Drainage and Coastal Protection Act 1999 2020 REVISED EDITION This revised edition incorporates all amendments up to and including 1 December 2021 and comes into operation on 31 December 2021 An Act to provide for and regulate the construction, maintenance, improvement, operation and use of sewerage and land drainage systems and coastal protection measures, to regulate the discharge of sewage and trade effluent and for matters connected therewith. [10/2012] [Act 8 of 2026 wef 29/05/2026] [1 April 1999] PART 1 PRELIMINARY Short title 1. This Act is the Sewerage, Drainage and Coastal Protection Act 1999. [Act 8 of 2026 wef 29/05/2026] General interpretation 2.—(1) In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires — “absolute protection boundary” means any boundary demarcating any region that must be protected from permanent coastal flooding and transient coastal flooding; [Act 8 of 2026 wef 29/05/2026] “authorised officer” means any person appointed as an authorised officer under section 3(2); “Board” means the Public Utilities Board continued under section 3 of the Public Utilities Act 2001; “building” has the meaning given by the Building Control Act 1989; “coastal flooding” has the meaning given by section 2A(1); [Act 8 of 2026 wef 29/05/2026] “coastal management” has the meaning given by section 2 of the Public Utilities Act 2001; [Act 8 of 2026 wef 29/05/2026] “Coastal Protection Interpretation Plan” or “CPIP” means the Coastal Protection Interpretation Plan under section 30C, as amended from time to time; [Act 8 of 2026 wef 29/05/2026] “coastal protection measure” means any structure or geographical or nature-based feature, together with any ancillary structure, plant, equipment, or geographical or nature-based feature, that may function as protection against coastal flooding, as more particularly described in section 2B; [Act 8 of 2026 wef 29/05/2026] “coastal protection safety corridor” means a coastal protection safety corridor prescribed under section 30B(1)(c); [Act 8 of 2026 wef 29/05/2026] “coastal protection works” has the meaning given by section 2 of the Public Utilities Act 2001; [Act 8 of 2026 wef 29/05/2026] “competent authority” means an authority appointed under section 5 of the Planning Act 1998; “CPM standards”, in relation to a coastal protection measure or a part of a coastal protection measure, means the standards in any code of practice under section 32 for the coastal protection measure or part, as amended from time to time; [Act 8 of 2026 wef 29/05/2026] “designated details”, in relation to a coastal protection measure or a part of a coastal protection measure for a prescribed place, means the description, details or delineation of the coastal protection measure or part — (a) included in the CPIP for the prescribed place under section 30D(1); or (b) notified to the owner of the prescribed place under section 30D(3), as the case may be; [Act 8 of 2026 wef 29/05/2026] “drain” includes any canal, culvert, conduit, river or watercourse; “drain‑line” means any pipe or sewer which is connected to the sewerage system of any premises; “drainage reserve” means — (a) any land set aside for drainage works pursuant to development proposals approved by a competent authority; (b) any land vested in the Government under section 29; or (c) any State land that is reserved for the purposes of the Board (permanently or temporarily) in connection with drainage works or a storm water drainage system; [Act 42 of 2022 wef 01/11/2024] “drainage works” includes any engineering works for the construction, alteration and maintenance of any stormwater drainage system; “earth retaining structure” means any structure, structural system or other means used to maintain the shape of excavation to enable the access to, repair of or replacement of a sewerage system or part thereof; [Act 38 of 2024 wef 01/03/2025] “fittings” means any apparatus or parts used for any sanitary facility or drain‑line of any premises; “flood protection measure” means any measure or system, or any specification required for any premises, for the purpose of — (a) preventing stormwater or seawater or both from entering any premises; [Act 8 of 2026 wef 29/05/2026] (b) removing from any premises into the stormwater drainage system (such as by pumped drainage systems), stormwater or seawater or both, that has or have entered the premises; or [Act 8 of 2026 wef 29/05/2026] (c) regulating or controlling (including by means of detention tanks) the entry of stormwater or seawater or both into the stormwater drainage system from any premises; [Act 38 of 2024 wef 01/03/2025] [Act 8 of 2026 wef 29/05/2026] “industrial water” means any water reclaimed from the sewage treatment works for use in industries that do not require high grade potable water; “licensed plumber” means an individual who holds a plumber’s licence as defined in section 2 of the Public Utilities Act 2001; “Magistrate’s Court limit” has the meaning given by the State Courts Act 1970; “nearshore or offshore structure” means a structure — (a) any part of which is seawards of any part of a protection boundary or (where there is no protection boundary) any part of an absolute protection boundary; and (b) any part of which is fixed into or attached to the seabed or to land, but does not include any such structure prescribed in regulations made under section 74; [Act 8 of 2026 wef 29/05/2026] “occupier”, in relation to any premises, includes any person having the charge, management or control of the premises or any part thereof; “owner”, in relation to — (a) any premises, includes — (i) the person for the time being receiving the rent of the premises, whether on the person’s own account or as agent or trustee or as receiver, or who would receive the rent if the premises were let to a tenant; and (ii) the person whose name is entered in the Valuation List prepared under section 10 of the Property Tax Act 1960; (b) the common property of any building erected on land comprised in a strata subdivision plan approved by the competent authority, includes — (i) the management corporation having control of the building; (ii) a managing agent appointed by a management corporation or by the Commissioner of Buildings under the Building (Strata Management) Act 2004; and [Act 12 of 2020 wef 01/10/2025] [Act 15 of 2026 wef 01/07/2026] (iii) a liquidator appointed for that management corporation; and (c) the limited common property of any building erected on land comprised in a strata subdivision plan approved by the competent authority, includes — (i) the subsidiary management corporation having control of that limited common property; (ii) a managing agent appointed by a subsidiary management corporation or by the Commissioner of Buildings under the Building (Strata Management) Act 2004; and [Act 12 of 2020 wef 01/10/2025] [Act 15 of 2026 wef 01/07/2026] (iii) a liquidator appointed for that subsidiary management corporation; “permanent coastal flooding” means coastal flooding of the type described in section 2A(1)(a); [Act 8 of 2026 wef 29/05/2026] “premises” includes messuages, houses, buildings, lands, tenements, easements and hereditaments of any tenure (including in perpetuity), whether open or enclosed, whether built or not, whether public or private, and whether maintained under statutory authority or not; [Act 8 of 2026 wef 29/05/2026] “protection boundary” means a boundary that — (a) is seawards of an absolute protection boundary and which, together with the absolute protection boundary, demarcates a transiently floodable area (coastal); or (b) on its own demarcates any region as a transiently floodable area (coastal); [Act 8 of 2026 wef 29/05/2026] “public sewerage system” includes — (a) sewerage systems which were vested in the Government before 1 April 1999 under the repealed Water Pollution Control and Drainage Act (Cap. 348, 1985 Revised Edition) or any other written law; (b) sewerage systems with respect to which a declaration of vesting has been made under section 8; (c) sewerage systems constructed by the Government or the Board on behalf of the Government on any private property at the expense of the Government or acquired by the Government; (d) sewerage systems constructed on any private property and maintained by the Board; and (e) sewerage systems owned or managed by the Board; “public sewers” includes — (a) sewers which were vested in the Government before 1 April 1999 under the repealed Water Pollution Control and Drainage Act (Cap. 348, 1985 Revised Edition) or any other written law; (b) sewers with respect to which a declaration of vesting has been made under section 9; (c) sewers constructed by the Government or the Board on behalf of the Government on any private property at the expense of the Government or acquired by the Government; and (d) sewers constructed on any private property and maintained by the Board; “qualified person” means a person who is registered as — (a) an architect under the Architects Act 1991 and has in force a practising certificate issued under that Act; or (b) a professional engineer under the Professional Engineers Act 1991 and has in force a practising certificate issued under that Act; [Act 38 of 2024 wef 01/03/2025] “reclaimed water” means treated water which has been recovered from a public sewerage system; “Registrar of Deeds” means the Registrar of Deeds appointed under the Registration of Deeds Act 1988; “Registrar of Titles” means the Registrar of Titles appointed under the Land Titles Act 1993; “reservoir” means a body of water maintained as a reservoir by the Board in any Catchment Area Park or Central Water Catchment Area (as defined in regulations made under section 72 of the Public Utilities Act 2001); [Act 38 of 2024 wef 01/03/2025] “sanitary appliances” includes washbasins, bathtubs, sinks, urinals, toilet bowls, bidets and other similar fixtures; “sanitary facilities” includes bathrooms, toilets, facilities for washing and sanitary appliances, together with the associated pipework, whether above or below the ground, which connect, directly or otherwise, to a private sewage treatment plant or a public sewerage system; “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; “sewage” includes waterborne domestic waste and trade effluent; “sewerage system” means a system of sewers, pipes, drain-lines, pumping systems, sumps, tanks, flow control systems, sensors, odour control and ventilating systems, chambers, manholes, sewage treatment systems or water reclamation facilities, or other appurtenances, for use in connection with one or both of the following purposes: (a) the collection, treatment and disposal of sewage; (b) the recovery and treatment of water which is supplied to the Board or by the Board, and includes any pipes and tanks for the temporary collection of sewage that do not connect downstream to or empty into any sewer; [Act 38 of 2024 wef 01/03/2025] “sewerage works” includes engineering works for the construction, alteration and maintenance of any sewerage system or any part thereof; [Act 38 of 2024 wef 01/03/2025] “specified drain” means a drain that would, but for any dam or tidal or flood gates, open to the sea; [Act 8 of 2026 wef 29/05/2026] “specified reservoir” means a reservoir that would, but for any dam or tidal or flood gates, open to the sea; [Act 8 of 2026 wef 29/05/2026] “stormwater” means rainwater and surface water but does not include sewage; “stormwater drainage system” means a system of drains for the conveyance or storage of stormwater and includes — (a) any weir, grating, float, boom, gauge, tidegate, sump, storage pond, pumping station, maintenance access, and debris interception and removal facility related to such system; (b) any structure constructed to convey, store or measure stormwater or for flood alleviation; and (c) any bridge over or railing for any such drain or any appurtenance thereof; “temporary building” has the meaning given by the Building Control Act 1989; “Town Council” means any Town Council established under section 4 of the Town Councils Act 1988; “trade effluent” means any liquid, including particles of matter and other substances in suspension in the liquid, which is the outflow from any trade, business or manufacture or of any works of engineering or building construction; “transient coastal flooding” means coastal flooding of the type described in section 2A(1)(b); [Act 8 of 2026 wef 29/05/2026] “transiently floodable area (coastal)” means an area demarcated by — (a) a part of an absolute protection boundary and a protection boundary; or (b) only a protection boundary, that may experience transient coastal flooding but not permanent coastal flooding; [Act 8 of 2026 wef 29/05/2026] “works” has the same meaning as “building works” in the Building Control Act 1989 and includes sewerage works, drainage works, sanitary works and coastal protection works. [Act 38 of 2024 wef 01/03/2025] [Act 8 of 2026 wef 29/05/2026] (2) For the purposes of the definition of “sewerage system” in subsection (1), regulations made under section 74 may provide — (a) for any thing to be excluded from the definition; or (b) for any thing to be included in the definition. [9/2002; 47/2004; 10/2012; 5/2014; 11/2018] [Act 38 of 2024 wef 01/03/2025] [Act 8 of 2026 wef 29/05/2026] Meaning of “coastal flooding” 2A.—(1) In this Act, “coastal flooding” means the flooding of land by seawater and may be — (a) permanent — as a result of land being lower than the long-term prevailing mean sea level; or (b) transient — as a result of events such as high tides, wave action or overtopping, storm surges and seawater backflow through drains (including where the seawater interacts with any other source of water). (2) In this Act, where a reference is made to any coastal protection measure for any prescribed place in relation to its function as protection against coastal flooding, the coastal flooding referred to is as described in section 30E(2). [Act 8 of 2026 wef 29/05/2026] Meaning of “coastal protection measure”, etc. 2B.—(1) In this Act, a coastal protection measure is any or any combination of the following: (a) any structure (for example, seawalls, revetments, embankments, weirs, dykes, dams, navigational locks, barrages, barriers, sheet piles, promenades, buildings, walls and streets); (b) any geographical or nature-based feature (for example, high ground, knolls, beaches and mangroves), whether naturally occurring, naturally occurring with modifications or enhancements made, or manmade, that, whether as existing or when put in place, and whether on its own or in connection with any other coastal protection measure, may function as protection against coastal flooding as described in section 30E(2). (2) The structure or geographical or nature-based feature in subsection (1) also includes any or any combination of any ancillary structure, plant or equipment (for example, pumping stations, drains, tanks, control and monitoring equipment, groynes and breakwaters, and electrical installations), or any geographical or nature-based feature, that — (a) supports the proper functioning of that structure or geographical or nature-based feature as protection against coastal flooding; or (b) prevents or alleviates flooding landward of that structure or geographical or nature-based feature, whether by seawater or water from any other source, (collectively called in this section and Part 4A ancillaries). (3) The Minister may, by order in the Gazette, prescribe any ancillaries that would otherwise fall within subsection (2), to be excluded from that subsection. (4) Any structure or geographical or nature-based feature, together with any ancillaries, continues to be a coastal protection measure even if the same or any part of the same may also function for some other purpose in addition to the respective functions in subsections (1) and (2)(a) and (b); but Part 4A only applies in relation to the functions in subsections (1) and (2)(a) and (b). (5) To avoid doubt, a coastal protection measure — (a) may also be a part of some other structure or geographical or nature-based feature; and (b) includes any component that must be operated or deployed in order for the coastal protection measure to protect against coastal flooding (where applicable). (6) In this Act, deploying a component of a coastal protection measure includes installing the component in or at any part of the coastal protection measure. (7) In this Act, a coastal protection measure that is put in place includes a geographical or nature-based feature that is modified or enhanced to satisfy the CPM standards for a coastal protection measure for a prescribed place. [Act 8 of 2026 wef 29/05/2026] Meaning of “prescribed place” 2C.—(1) In this Act, “prescribed place” means any of the following: (a) any premises, specified reservoir or specified drain, or any part of the sea, at which is prescribed any or any part of an absolute protection boundary; (b) without affecting paragraph (a), any premises within, or any part of which is within, a transiently floodable area (coastal); (c) any sheltered structure any part of which is within a transiently floodable area (coastal); (d) any nearshore or offshore structure. (2) Premises, specified reservoirs, specified drains, parts of the sea, or structures, only become prescribed places as follows: (a) for any premises, specified reservoir, specified drain or part of the sea under subsection (1)(a) — as from the effective date of the prescription under section 30B of the absolute protection boundary or part (as the case may be) at the premises, specified reservoir, specified drain or part of the sea; (b) for any premises under subsection (1)(b) — as from the effective date in subsection (3) of the transiently floodable area (coastal); (c) for any sheltered structure under subsection (1)(c) — as from the effective date in subsection (3) of the transiently floodable area (coastal); (d) for any nearshore or offshore structure under subsection (1)(d) — as from the effective date of the prescription under section 30B of the absolute protection boundary or part (as the case may be) that the nearshore or offshore structure is seaward of. (3) For the purposes of subsection (2)(b) and (c), the effective date of the transiently floodable area (coastal) is, as the case may be — (a) the effective date of the prescription under section 30B of the part of the absolute protection boundary, and the protection boundary, by which the transiently floodable area (coastal) is demarcated or, if the effective dates of prescription of the 2 are different, the later date; or (b) the effective date of the prescription under section 30B of the protection boundary by which the transiently floodable area (coastal) is demarcated. [Act 8 of 2026 wef 29/05/2026] Meaning of “owner” in relation to prescribed place 2D.—(1) The Minister may, by order in the Gazette, prescribe one or more of the following persons to be an owner of any prescribed place for the purposes of any provision in Part 4A (other than section 30Q): (a) a person within the definition of “owner” in section 2(1); (b) a lessee or tenant of the prescribed place, or of any part of the prescribed place in relation to that part of the prescribed place. (2) Different persons may be prescribed — (a) for different provisions in Part 4A; and (b) for different circumstances under the same provision in Part 4A. (3) Where such prescription is made for any provision in Part 4A — (a) only the person prescribed (or if more than one person is prescribed, each person prescribed) is an owner of the prescribed place or part for the purposes of — (i) that provision; and (ii) any other provision in this Act in its application to that provision; and (b) no other person within the definition of “owner” in section 2(1) is an owner of the prescribed place or part for the purposes of that provision. (4) Where no such prescription is made for a provision in Part 4A, “owner” for the purposes of that provision has the meaning given by section 2(1). [Act 8 of 2026 wef 29/05/2026]