Section 2: Interpretation

2. Interpretation In this Act— “Authority” means the Waste Water Management Authority established under section 3; “Board” means the Waste Water Management Authority Board referred to in section 8; “Chairperson” means the Chairperson of the Board appointed under section 8 (2); “conduit” means a structure, including a pipe, passage way or channel and its connections above or below ground, which is designed or used to convey water, effluent, sewage or waste water; “Contrat de Délégation” means a contract embodying the terms and conditions by which the public waste water management and service or the operation and maintenance of any waste water system is delegated to the Authority; “Convention de Maîtrise d’Ouvrage Délégué” means a contract embodying the terms and conditions by which the Authority undertakes to execute such waste water works as are mentioned in the contract; “effluent” means waste water, whether treated, treated partially or untreated, produced by or discharged from industrial, commercial or domestic premises or waste water works; “General Manager” means the chief executive officer appointed under section 11; “ground water” has the same meaning as in section 2 of the Ground Water Act; “house connection” means a pipe or conduit providing private waste water services for the conveyance of effluent from private premises to the public sewer; “house drain” means a conduit, whether covered or not, used or intended to be used for the collection, conveyance and removal of rain water falling on or flowing from any roof, terrace, yard, garden or any part of any tenement; [Issue 1] W4 – 2 Revised Laws of Mauritius “house sewer” means a sewer intended to be used for the removal of effluent from any property and its conveyance into the waste water system; “member” means a member of the Board and includes the Chairperson; “Minister” means the Minister to whom responsibility for the subject of waste water is assigned; “occupier” means a person in actual occupation of a property without regard to the title under which he occupies; “owner” means— (a) the person who for the time being receives or, if the property were to be let, would be entitled to receive, the rent for the property, whether for his own benefit or that of any other person; (b) the occupier, where the owner cannot be found or ascertained, or is not in Mauritius, or is not reasonably available; (c) the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry in charge of the property, where it belongs to the State; (d) the lessee, in the case of leased State land; or (e) the person to whom the management is entrusted, in all other cases, of public property; “premises” means land or tenement, whether enclosed or not, built on or not, and includes a building, hut, shed, tent or other structure above or below ground on such land or tenement; “public sewer” means a sewer which is under operation, maintenance and supervision of the Authority; “road” has the same meaning as in the Roads Act; “sewer”— (a) means any conduit used or intended to be used for the reception, conveyance or removal of effluent; and (b) includes manholes, tanks, traps, valves, syphons and other appliances provided or used in connection with the conduit; “treatment plant” means any tank, apparatus or assembly meant to effect the treatment of effluent; “vesting day”, in relation to Part V, means— (a) the day prescribed by the Minister, as defined in the Central Water Authority Act, in respect of the assets of the Central Water Au any conduit used or intended to be used for the reception, conveyance or removal of effluent; and (b) includes manholes, tanks, traps, valves, syphons and other appliances provided or used in connection with the conduit; “treatment plant” means any tank, apparatus or assembly meant to effect the treatment of effluent; “vesting day”, in relation to Part V, means— (a) the day prescribed by the Minister, as defined in the Central Water Authority Act, in respect of the assets of the Central Water Authority; or W4 – 3 [Issue 1] Waste Water Management Authority Act (b) the day prescribed by the Minister, as defined in the Waste Water Authority Act 1991, in respect of the assets under the control of the Waste Water Authority under the Waste Water Authority Act 1991; “waste water” means water sullied or contaminated by any matter, in solution or suspension, derived from its use in connection with domestic, industrial or other activities; “waste water fee or rate” means the fee or rate levied under section 25; “waste water system”— (a) means a sewer, conduit, pump, engine or other appliance used or intended to be used for the reception, conveyance, removal, treatment and disposal of effluent; and (b) does not include house sewers; “waste water works” means such works as may be required or done for the collection, conveyance, treatment and disposal of waste water and includes the maintenance of such works; “works undertaking contract” means a contract embodying the terms and conditions by which the Authority undertakes to execute such waste water works as are mentioned in the contract. [S. 2 amended by s. 3 of Act 33 of 2003 w.e.f. 13 September 2003; s. 3 of Act 26 of 2004 w.e.f. 26 August 2004.] PART II – ESTABLISHMENT AND FUNCTIONS OF AUTHORITY