Public Health (Water Quality Control) Regulations (S.I. No. 14 of 1978)

41 Public Health (Water Quality Oontrol) Regulations SAINT LUCIA STATUTORY RULES AND ORDERS, 1978 No. 14 ~ 11th ~Iarch, 1978. 1 1. Short Title. These Regulations shall be cited as the Public Health (Water Quality Control) Regulations 1978, and shall come into force with the commencement of the Act. 2. Interpretation. For the purposes of these Regulations " Authority" means the Saint Lucia Central Water Authority established by section 3 of the Central Water Authority Ordinance; "Gathering ground" means any surface of land or other device which collects the rainfall for the purposes of the Waterworks; " Private water supply" means a water supply other than a public water supply; "Public water supply" means any main, valve, tap, standpipe or any other appliance, used or intended to be used for or in connection with the supply of water to the public; " Water supply system" includes a gathering ground, filter, gutter, pipe or any tank, cistern or other receptacle, reservoir or other place used for the collection, storing and supplying of water for domestic purposes. These Regulations shall apply to public and private water supplies. 3. Non impairment of quality of water. (1) No person shall commit or cause to be committed any act which may impair the quality of water in any river, stream, spring, well, pond, reservoir or any other place. (2) No person shall commit or cause to be committed any act which may impair the quality of any underground water by the discharge of any sewage, industrial or trade waste, filth, or any other matter into any well or abandoned well, hole or other opening in the ground. (3) No person shall discharge or cause to be discharged into any river, stream, water course or sea any sewage, industrial or trade waste or any other matter likely to be injurious to health, whether or not a presumptive right has been acquired to any such discharge, except in accordance with the terms and conditions of a permit issued by the Public Health Board. (4) No person shall swim, bathe, wash clothes or other materials, wash animals, cleanse utensils or vehicles in any river, stream spring, well or other water contributing to a public or private water supply. 42 Public Health (Water Quality Oontrol) Regulations (5) No person shall erect any building, septic tank, absorption pit or other sanitary convenience in any area declared a gathering ground or within 200 feet of any public or private water supply except an engineering plan has been submitted and approved in writing by the Public Health Board and such construction complies with the approved plan before being put into service. 4. Permission for conveyance of water for domestic use. No person shall sell, or offer for sale, or convey water for domestic use in tanks or other recep tacles except by written permission of the Public Health Board. 5. Water supply systems to be satisfactorily constructed and maintained. All water supply systems and any place or receptacle in which water is stored shall be free from sanitary defect and shall be constructed, placed, protected and maintained to the satisfaction of the Public Health Board. 6. Well to be located, constructed etc. to prevent contamination. (1) Wells shall be so located, constructed, protected and maintained as to prevent contamination. (2) Well tops shall be of concrete and so constructed as to divert waste water and provided with a substantial base on which a pump or other means of raising water can be secured. 7. Water tanks etc., for the conveyance of water to be impervious, easily cleaned and sanitized. All water tanks or other receptacles used for the conveyance of water shall be impervious and maintained in a clean and sanitary condition. Any opening into a water tank or other recepacle shall be covered and all water drawn from a suitable tap. Buckets, pumping equipment and other appurtenances with which the water comes in contact shall be maintained in good repair and in clean condition. 8. Quality of drinking water etc., to be prescribed. The quality of water for drinking or domestic purposes, food processing or manfacture, or in any business or industry shall meet such standards of purity as are prescribed by the Public Health Board and it shall be the duty of the owner or person in charge of the premises to see that the standards are met. 9. Chlorinating machinery etc., to be kept working efficiently. Where chlorine or any of its compounds is used in the sterilization of water, all chlorina ing machinery and equipment shall be maintained in efficient working order. Such spare parts as may be necessary shall be kept for use in case of emergency. 10. Testing of chlorinated water by authorised persons. All water chlorinated shall be tested by a person authorised for the purpose at specified intervals during the operation of the plant for free residual chlorine using tests as may be designated by the Public Health Board and the person carrying out such test shall keep a record thereof which shall be furnished each month to the Medical Officer of Health. 43 Public H eaIth (Water Qaulity Control) Regulations 11. Notice to desist from contamination of water supply. Where any accumulation of refuse, filth, garbage or other matter is found in close proximity to any water supply and the Medical Officer of Health is of the opinion that such accumulation is likely to cause contamination of the water therein he shall forthwith in writing require the property owner or the person in charge of the property to desist from depositing the same and to remove all such material within a time specified. 12. Closure of water supply. The Public Health Board on the recom mendation of the Medical Officer of Health may order the temporary or per manent closure of any water supply if in their opinion the quality water therein is impaired or likely to become so. 13. Penalty. Any person failing to comply with these Regulations or with any notice served thereunder shall be guilty of an offence and on summary conviction shall be liable to a fine not exceeding two hundred and fifty dollars or to a term of imprisonment not exceeding three months, and in addition in the case of a continuous offence to a fine not exceeding fifty dollars for each day the offence continues after a conviction is first obtained. Made by the Minister under section 9 of the Public Health Act 1975 (No.8 of 1975) this 10th day of March, 1978. J. ALLAN BOUSQUET, Minister. SAINT LUCIA. PRINTED BY THE GOVERNMENT PRINTER AT THE GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE, CASTRIES, 1978 [ Price 30 cents. ]