Public Utilities Act 2001

Public Utilities Act 2001 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 reconstitute the Public Utilities Board and for matters connected therewith. [1 April 2001] PART 1 PRELIMINARY Short title 1. This Act is the Public Utilities Act 2001. Interpretation 2. In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires — “AMI meter” or “Advanced Metering Infrastructure meter” means — (a) a meter that can transmit information to the Board by means of telecommunications; and (b) a meter, and a device which is associated with or ancillary to that meter and which — (i) is capable of converting mechanical readings to digital data, where applicable; and (ii) enables information to be transmitted to the Board, or received by the meter, by means of telecommunications; “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; “authorised officer” means an officer or employee of the Board, or an officer of any other statutory authority, authorised by the Board; “Board” means the Public Utilities Board reconstituted under the Public Utilities Act (Cap. 261, 1996 Revised Edition) in force before 1 April 2001 and continued by section 3; “Chairperson” means the Chairperson of the Board and includes any temporary Chairperson of the Board; “Chief Executive” means the Chief Executive of the Board, and includes any individual acting in that capacity; “Coastal and Flood Protection Fund” means the fund of that name established under section 18; [Deleted by Act 8 of 2026 wef 29/05/2026] [Deleted by Act 8 of 2026 wef 29/05/2026] [Deleted by Act 8 of 2026 wef 29/05/2026] “coastal flooding” means flooding of land by seawater, as more particularly described in section 2A of the Sewerage, Drainage and Coastal Protection Act 1999; [Act 8 of 2026 wef 29/05/2026] “coastal management” means the adaptation of Singapore to current and future impacts of coastal flooding, taking into account the effects of climate change, and includes the carrying out of coastal protection works; [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 of the Sewerage, Drainage and Coastal Protection Act 1999; [Act 8 of 2026 wef 29/05/2026] “coastal protection works” means any of the following activities: (a) (whether by construction or otherwise) putting in place, expanding or altering (including by adding, demolishing or removing) any or any part of a coastal protection measure; (b) constructing or acquiring any electrical installation or substation necessary to support the function of any coastal protection measure, and connecting any part of a coastal protection measure to an electricity source; (c) maintaining, repairing, inspecting or monitoring any or any part of a coastal protection measure; (d) any activity to support any of the activities in paragraph (a) (including improving ground conditions and undertaking any study or survey for or to facilitate the designing of any or any part of a coastal protection measure); [Act 8 of 2026 wef 29/05/2026] “connecting pipe” means a pipe from a water main to the meter position; “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 Chairperson” means the Deputy Chairperson of the Board and includes any temporary Deputy Chairperson 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; “drain-line” has the meaning given by section 2(1) of the Sewerage, Drainage and Coastal Protection Act 1999; [Act 38 of 2024 wef 01/03/2025] [Act 8 of 2026 wef 29/05/2026] “extract”, in relation to water, means to take or intercept water from any place or sea, within the territorial limits of Singapore, using works constructed under an approval of the Board under section 31 of the Sewerage, Drainage and Coastal Protection Act 1999; [Act 27 of 2023 wef 01/01/2024] [Act 8 of 2026 wef 29/05/2026] “extracted water” means water that has been extracted; [Act 27 of 2023 wef 01/01/2024] [Deleted by Act 8 of 2026 wef 29/05/2026] “installation” includes any plant or apparatus designed for the collection, conveyance, production, supply or use of water; “licensed plumber” means an individual who holds a plumber’s licence; “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; “main” means a pipe through which water is or can be supplied or conveyed, whether the pipe is in use or not; “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” — (a) 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; and (b) includes an AMI meter; “occupier” means the person in occupation of any premises and includes the person having the charge, management or control of the premises either on the person’s own account or as agent of another person, but does not include a lodger; “plumber’s licence” means a licence granted under section 40J; “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 1991 and has in force a practising certificate issued under that Act; “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; “sanitary appliances” and “sanitary facilities” have the meanings given by section 2(1) of the Sewerage, Drainage and Coastal Protection Act 1999; [Act 38 of 2024 wef 01/03/2025] [Act 8 of 2026 wef 29/05/2026] “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” has the meaning given by section 2(1) of the Sewerage, Drainage and Coastal Protection Act 1999; [Act 38 of 2024 wef 01/03/2025] [Act 8 of 2026 wef 29/05/2026] “sewerage system” has the meaning given by section 2(1) of the Sewerage, Drainage and Coastal Protection Act 1999 (as may be modified pursuant to section 2(2) of that Act); [Act 38 of 2024 wef 01/03/2025] [Act 8 of 2026 wef 29/05/2026] “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); “street” includes — (a) any road, highway, square, footway or passage, whether a thoroughfare or not, over which the public has a right of way; (b) the way over any public bridge; (c) any road, footway or passage, open court or open alley, used or intended to be used as a means of access to 2 or more holdings, whether the public has a right of way over it or not; and (d) all channels, sewers, drains, tunnels, ditches and reserves at the side of a street; “telecommunications” has the meaning given by section 2 of the Telecommunications Act 1999; “ventilating pipe” means a pipe provided to limit the pressure fluctuations in any discharge pipe; “vessel” means — (a) a ship, boat, an air-cushioned vehicle or any other similar craft used in any reservoir or waterway, however moved or propelled; or (b) a barge, lighter, rig, platform or any other floating structure, that may or may not be moved or propelled; “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; “water installation” means any water-retaining structure, chamber, pumping station, pipe, water fitting, apparatus or appliance used for the supply or conveyance of water; [Act 38 of 2024 wef 01/03/2025] “water main” means any pipe used or to be used for the conveyance of water, other than a connecting pipe; “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 to the premises, but does not include any installation for the disposal of any waste, sullage water or sewage; and (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 to the premises; 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 to the premises, 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; “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; “waterway” means a navigable river, conduit or drain; “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; “WSI works” means any works on any water service installation including constructing, erecting, installing, maintaining, altering, repairing or replacing the water service installation. [9/2012; 5/2018; 11/2018; 13/2020; 4/2021]