Regulation on the provision of house connections under water and sewerage projects in inhabited islands, no. R/90 of 2022

Volume: 51 No: 127 Regulation No: 2022/R-90 Government of Maldives Gazette Unofficial Translation Regulation No. 2022/R-90 The Gazette of Maldives Volume: 51 No: 127 Date: 24 Shawwal 1443 – 25th May 2022 Wednesday Regulation Number: 2022/R-90 Regulation on the provision of house connections under water and sewerage projects in inhabited islands Disclaimer: “Take careful note that the official text is the Dhivehi version of this regulation, and it shall prevail over any differences over the original text, please refer to the original Dhivehi text in case any questions of accuracy arises. The unofficial English translations are provided and made available as a courtesy, and for reference only. The unofficial text is deemed correct at the time of translation.” The President’s Office Boduthakurufaanu magu Male’, Maldives Phone: 3336211 Mobile: 7242885 Website: www.gazette.gov.mv • Requests to publish guidelines and regulations must be sent to legalaffairs@po.gov.mv UNOFFICIAL TRANSLATION http://www.gazette.gov.mv/ Volume: 51 No: 127 Regulation No: 2022/R-90 Government of Maldives Gazette Unofficial Translation Regulation No. 2022/R-90 Ministry of Environment Male, Republic of Maldives. Regulation on the provision of house connections under water and sewerage projects in inhabited islands Introduction 1. This regulation is issued pursuant to Section 8 (u) of Act No. 8/2020 [Water and Sewerage Act], under the section 58(a) to govern the process of providing water and sewerage connection services in inhabited island. Title 2. This regulation shall be titled as the “Regulation on the provision of house connections under water and sewerage projects in inhabited islands” Objective 3. The main objective of this Regulation is to establish and implement the principles to provide water and sewerage system connections to households without any cost under the Water and Sewerage Projects implemented in inhabited islands. Enforcement of the Regulation 4. This Regulation will be enforced by the Utility Regulatory Authority. Provision of water meter connection to households under the water and sewerage projects implemented in the islands without cost 5. Water meter connections shall be provided to households under water and sewerage projects implemented in the islands without any cost to the following categories: a. one connection to each registered household, or for each registered individual apartment; b. one connection to each registered café’, restaurants or related food service center; c. one connection to all registered commercial and industrial centers or facilities; d. one connection to all government offices, schools, mosques, health centers, and community centers; e. one connection at the harbor area of each island; f. For all public toilets surveyed and confirmed by the engineer assigned by the client; g. one connection for households with roofs regardless of people residing it; and Volume: 51 No: 127 Regulation No: 2022/R-90 Government of Maldives Gazette Unofficial Translation Regulation No. 2022/R-90 h. for all housing properties developed by the government or private companies. The total number of household connection shall be surveyed and confirmed by the engineer assigned by the Client. Provision of sewerage junction (catch-pit) connection to households under the water and sewerage projects implemented in the islands without any cost: 6. one connection to each registered household, or for each registered individual apartment; a. one connection to each registered household, or for each registered individual apartment; b. one connection to each registered café’, restaurants or related food service center; c. one connection to all registered commercial and industrial centers or facilities; d. one connection to all government offices, schools, mosques, health centers, and community centers; e. For all public toilets surveyed and confirmed by the engineer assigned by the client; f. one connection for households with roofs regardless of people residing it; and g. for all housing properties developed by the government or private companies. The total number of household connection shall be surveyed and confirmed by the engineer assigned by the Client. The procedure for providing water meter and catch-pit connection at an additional cost to households under the water and sewerage projects implemented in the islands 7. In the categories under clause 5 and 6 of this regulation, where 1 (one) connection can be provided, the regulation does not prohibit the project's proponent and the project contractor to provide an additional connection with a price, as agreed upon by both parties Providing Water and sewerage connections to buildings at both sides of a road or buildings on more than one road 8. Even if there is a road on either side of a residential building, it will be considered as 1 (one) building for the provision of water and sewerage connection to the building. Request for Water and Sewerage Connections 9. a. All requests for water and sewerage connections under Water and Sewerage Projects shall be made by the Application Form in Annex 1 of this Regulation. b. Under the water and sewerage project, the completed Application Form for connection of water and sewerage shall be submitted to the island Council and the city council if it is a city along with the following documents: 1. A copy of the National ID of the owner of the Building. 2. if the owner of the building is deceased, a copy of the national ID card of the declared successor(s). Volume: 51 No: 127 Regulation No: 2022/R-90 Government of Maldives Gazette Unofficial Translation Regulation No. 2022/R-90 3. Copy of the property registry. 4. For any reason if there is any case of division of house or land in progress in a court, a document proving of such is required. 5. A copy of the building registry if the request is made under the Section 5 (a) or 6 (a) of this Regulation. 6. A copy of the business registry if the request is made under the Section 5 (b), (c) or 6 (b), (c) of this Regulation. The standard to be followed in providing water and sewerage connection 10. A connection for water and sewerage services will be provided to the furthest at 1 meter from boundary of the Property. Surveys conducted to provide water connections under Water Services Projects 11. The following process shall be followed in surveys conducted to provide water connections under Water Services Projects: a. The categories specified in Section 5 of this Regulation shall be identified in the design stage of Water Service-related projects in the survey conducted by the design consultants; b. In conducting the survey, the consultants shall visit the properties accompanied by the senior representatives assigned by the Council and decide the location for the meters to be placed in consultation with the building owners; c. Upon deciding the location of the meter, the signature of the building owner or a representative of the building owner shall be collected on the survey form as confirmation of the location of the meter by the building owner; d. The boundary wall for the location of the meter shall have a designated troweled concrete space of 3 (three) feet in height and a width of 1 (one) feet. Surveys conducted to provide sewerage connections under the Water and Sewerage Services Projects 12. The following process shall be followed in surveys conducted to provide sewerage connections under the Water and Sewerage Services Projects: a. The categories specified in Section 6 of this Regulation shall be identified in the design stage of Water Service related projects in the survey conducted by the design consultants; b. In conducting the survey, the consultants shall visit the properties accompanied with the representatives assigned by the Council and decide the location for the catch-pit to be placed in consultation with the building owners; c. Upon deciding the location of the catch-pit, the signature of the building owner or a representative of the building owner shall be collected on the survey form as confirmation of the location of the catch-pit by the building owner; d. Identifying the location of the catch-pit on the layout plan of the sewerage system and ensuring the location of the catch-pit can be utilized for the work without any restrictions. Volume: 51 No: 127 Regulation No: 2022/R-90 Government of Maldives Gazette Unofficial Translation Regulation No. 2022/R-90 Submission of the water and sewerage connection Form and extension of the period under the Water and Sewerage Projects 13. a. The Application form in Annex 1 of this act shall be available from the project contractor’s office and Council administration. At least 60 (sixty) days shall be given to submit the connection request form. The form shall be submitted within this time limit to the island council if situated in an island or to the City council if situated in a city. Upon submission of the form, an official document of acceptance of the form shall be issued by the council office to the applicant. b. Upon completion of the Grace Period stated in the Section 13(a) herein, a list of applicants for connection under water and sewerage project shall be compiled in collaboration with the project proponent and the Council and posted on the notice board of the relevant Council office for a period of 2 (two) weeks. The opportunity to submit complaints to the list shall be open to the public during that period and the complaints shall be submitted in written form to the council. c. Upon expiry of the period stated in Section 13(b) above, the Council shall inform the project proponent the details of the complaints received in a letter. d. The buildings included in the detailed list of complaints submitted by the council under subsection (c) of this section shall be given at least 1 (one) week to reapply after confirmation of request by the project proponent. e. Upon confirming the list of applications submitted under clause 13, sub-clause (d), by the Council and Contractor, an executive of the Council administration shall execute with name, sign and stamp, all the pages of the final list and officially send the list and letter to the project proponent within 1 (one) week. f. The list submitted by the council under sub-section (e) of this section, shall be officially shared with the council office and the contractor of the project after examining the request by the project proponent. g. If the Government has arranged for the roads in the island to be paved during the project period, the council shall examine and confirm whether connections are required in the near future to vacant lots or building under construction in the blocks containing the paved roads. Such locations shall be surveyed and connections shall be installed across the road in the blocks (that includes the land) in accordance to the instruction by the Engineer of the project proponent. In furtherance of this, the project proponent shall procure the road development chart officially in writing from the relevant government administration leading the project. Request for water and sewerage services upon completion of the Project 14. a. Once the water and sewerage projects are completed and handed over to the service provider under an operating license, the water service or sewerage service shall be requested in accordance with the procedures established by the utility service provider. b. Notwithstanding the Section 14(a) above, the Utilities Company shall provide the services for a water service request within 2 (two) weeks from the receipt of a request. Volume: 51 No: 127 Regulation No: 2022/R-90 Government of Maldives Gazette Unofficial Translation Regulation No. 2022/R-90 c. Notwithstanding subsection (h) of this section, the utility company shall provide the service within 2 (two) weeks of the request for the service after the applicant has arranged for the connection of the toilets of the house or building to the junction. Providing water and sewerage connection services to empty plots without buildings: 15. a. Vacant land or houses allotted for residential or other purposes shall be connected through Y-connection or lateral-connection so that the service can be easily accessed in case of need. b. The main pipe must be buried in an easily accessible location under water supply projects to provide water services to empty plots given for housing and other purposes. Commencement of this Regulation 16. a. This Regulation will come into effect after its publication in the Government Gazette. b. Upon the enactment of this act, Regulation number R-10/2020 (Act for the guidelines for the water and sewerage projects under water supply service or sewerage system projects in inhabited islands) shall be void. Definitions 17. Unless otherwise stated in this Regulation, the following words and phrases shall be interpreted as specified below. a. “Proponent” shall mean the government institute that is implementing the construction works of the water supply projects or sewerage system projects b. “Ministry” shall mean the Ministry mandated with the responsibility of implementing the Water and Sewerage Policy; c. “Connection” shall mean the water meter and sewerage catch pit mounted under the project in the house d. “Catch pit” shall mean the junction well located within the boundary of the building to be connected with the sewerage system and toilets e. “Y- connection” shall mean the connection made from the Y joint to each individual house through the main sewer line. f. “Lateral-connection” shall mean the connection lines branched to the building from the main water or sewer lines. g. “Service” shall mean providing water and sewerage connection, requesting its use and arranging a way for it to be used. h. “Building” shall mean the places included in the following categories a. Houses built to be used as living quarters b. café’, restaurants or related food service center c. businesses and industrial centers or facilities d. government offices, schools, mosques, health centers, and community centers e. Government or private places used for housing projects i. “Council” shall mean either island or city councils comprised under Act number 7/2010 (Law of decentralizing administrative areas) Volume: 51 No: 127 Regulation No: 2022/R-90 Government of Maldives Gazette Unofficial Translation Regulation No. 2022/R-90 j. “Boundary Wall” shall mean the wall marking the perimeter of the property