Laws and regulation used for disposing wastewater to water bodies in Malaysia

1. GUIDELINES/ LAW RELATED TO
SEWERAGE SYSTEM
NUR HANISSA BINTI MOHD
RAFEE
EH07150021

2. SECTION 25: Restrictions on pollution of inland waters.
 (1) No person shall unless licensed, emit, discharge or deposit any waters into any inland
waters in contravention of the acceptable conditions specified under Section 21
 (2) Without limiting the generality of subsection (1), person shall be deemed to emit,
discharge or deposit wastes into inland waters if:
- he places any wastes in or on any wastes or in a place where it may gain access to any
waters.
- he places any waste in a position where it falls, descends, drains, evaporates, is
washed, is blown or percolates or is likely to fall, descend, drain, evaporate or be washed,
be blown or percolate into any waters, or knowingly or through his negligence, whether
directly or indirectly, causes or permits any wastes to be placed in such position.
- he causes the temperature of the receiving, waters to be raised or lowered by more than
the prescribed limits.

3.  (3) Any person was contravenes subsection (1) shall be guilty of an offence and shall be
liable to a fine riot exceeding ten thousand ringgit or to imprisonment for a period not
exceeding two years or both and to a further fine not exceeding one thousand ringgit a
day for every day that the offence is continued after a notice by the Director General
requiring him to cease the act specified therein has been served upon him.
SECTION 27: Prohibition of discharge of oil into Malaysian waters.
 (1) No person shall, unless licensed, discharged or spill any oil or mixture containing oil
into Malaysian waters in contravention of the acceptable conditions specified under
section 21.
SECTION 21: Power to specify condition of emission, discharge. Etc
 The minister, after consultation with the Council, may specify the acceptable conditions
for the emission, discharge or deposit of environmentally hazardous substances,
pollutants or wastes or the emission of noise into any area, segment or element of the
environment and may set aside any area, segment or element of the environment within
which the emission, discharge or deposit is prohibited or restricted.
 (2) Any person who contravenes subsection (1) shall be guilty of an offence and shall be
liable to a fine of not less than one thousand ringgit and not exceeding twenty – five
thousand ringgit or to imprisonment not exceeding two years or to both.

4. SECTION 29: Prohibition of discharge of wastes into Malaysian waters.
 (1) No person shall, unless licensed, discharge wastes into the Malaysian waters in
contravention of the acceptable conditions specified under section 21.
 (2) Any person who contravenes subsection (1) shall be guilty of an offence shall be liable
to a fine not exceeding ten thousand ringgit or to imprisonment not exceeding two years
or to both.

5.  An act to amend and consolidate the laws relating to sewerage systems and sewerage
services throughout Malaysia for the purpose of improving sanitation and the
environment and promoting public health; and to provide for matters connected
therewith and incidental thereto.
WATER ACT 1920
7A. Prohibition of pollution of rivers.
 (1) Save as may be expressly authorized under any written law or the terms of any express
grant made by or on behalf of the State Authority no person shall expect under and in
accordance with the terms and conditions of license issued under this section cause to
enter or discharge into any river
- (a) any poisonous, noxious or polluting matter that will render or is likely to render or
contribute to rendering such river or part there of harmful or detrimental or injurious to
public health, safety and welfare, or to an animal or vegetable life or health or to other
beneficial uses of such river,

6.  (b) Any matter which of its temperature, chemical or biological content or its effect in
discoloring the waters makes or contributes to making such river or part thereof a
potential danger to public health, safety or welfare or to animal or vegetable of health or
affects other beneficial uses of such river;
 (c) Any matter which by virtue of its physical nature, or its effect in discoloring waters,
makes or contributes to making such water, difficult to treat; or
 (d) oil of any nature, used, waste or otherwise.

7.  An act to provide for the control of water pollution and for other matters connected with
water pollution.
16. Licensing of discharges to sewers.
 (1) A person other than a sanitary authority shall not, after such date may be fixed for the
purpose of this section by order made by the Minister, discharge or cause or permit the
discharge of any trade effluent or other matter (other than domestic sewage or storm
water) to a sewer, except under and in accordance with a license under this section
granted by the sanitary authority in which the sewer is vested or by which it is controlled.

8.  Provision of a legal framework for specific authorization for all discharges of urban waste
water and industrial waste water from particular sectors, as well as for all discharges of
industrial waste water into urban waste water systems;
 Article 15:
- Monitoring of discharges from urban waste water treatment plants
- Monitoring of waters subject to discharges from the urban waste water treatment
plants
 Article 16:
This article requires member states to submit of a situation report to inform the
Commission and the public on disposal of urban waste water and sludge in the area. This
situation report is required every 2 years.
 Article 17:
This article requires Member States to provide the Commission with information on the
status and programme of implementation of the Directive This report is to be updated
every 2 years.

9.  All discharges to the aquatic environment from sewerage systems owned, managed and
operated by water service authorities will require a waste water discharge licence or
certificate of authorisation from the EPA. The authorities are required to apply to the
Agency for a licence or certificate of authorisation by set dates depending on the
population equivalent of the area served by the sewer network
 The authorisation process provides for the Agency to place stringent conditions on the
operation of such discharges to ensure that potential effects on the receiving water bodies
are strictly limited and controlled. In overall terms the aim is to achieve good surface
water and ground water status in addition to complying with standards and objectives
established for associated protected areas by 2015 at the latest.