Revised Laws of Saint Lucia (2021)

PART 1
PRELIMINARY

2.   Interpretation

In this Act unless the context otherwise requires—

“benching” means the sloped floor of a manhole on both sides of and above a channel;

“British Standard” means the relevant and current specification of the British Standards Institution of the article or material to which reference is made;

“cement” means cement complying with British Standard 12, ordinary Portland and rapid hardening Portland cement;

“manhole channel” means the open waterway through which the effluent flows at the invert of a manhole;

“coarse aggregate” means natural gravel, crushed gravel and crushed stone complying with British Standards 882, 1198, 1199, 1200, 1201, concrete aggregates and building sands from natural sources;

“concrete” means concrete of not less strength than that obtained by thoroughly mixing one part by volume of cement, 2.5 parts by volume of suitably graded fine aggregate, 5 parts by volume of suitably graded coarse aggregate, with just sufficient clean water to secure due workability and conveyed and compacted in its final setting position with a minimum of delay, after such mixing;

“cover” means the vertical distance from the ground level to the top of a buried pipe;

“drain” means any pipe (and includes all bends, tapers and junctions used in connection therewith) not being a rainwater pipe nor a soil pipe nor a waste pipe, nor a waste water pipe provided for the purpose of conveying from any building or group of buildings lying within the same curtilage—

1.  

   (a)     foul water and or waste water and or trade effluent to a foul water sewer or to a lateral drain connecting with a foul water sewer or to a cesspool or to a septic tank; or

1.  

   (b)     surface water to a watercourse or to a tank or to a soakaway;

“drainage” means the construction, repair, alteration, maintenance or removal of any drain or any lateral drain or any sewer or of any manhole thereon or any cesspool or septic tank or of any watercourse or soakaway or of any soil pipe or ventilating pipe or waste pipe or waste water pipe or fitting in connection therewith or of any gutter or rainwater pipe or fitting in connection therewith or of any urinal, water closet, earth closet, pail closet, slop sink, lavatory basin, bath and the like or of any gully trap, anti-siphonage pipe or fitting or cistern in connection therewith or of any water storage tank used for collecting surface water from a building or its curtilage;

“drop connection” means a drain of which the last length before its connection to a manhole or sewer is vertical;

“dual system” means the system of conveying foul water from a building whereby a soil pipe conveys soil directly and untrapped to a drain and a waste water pipe conveys waste water to a drain by discharging it into or over a gully trap the soil pipe and the waste water pipe not being interconnected;

“earth closet” means a closet for the reception of faecal matter into a movable receptacle in which such matter is deodorised by admixture with earth, ashes, sand, chemicals and the like;

“fine aggregate” means natural sand, crushed gravel and crushed stone complying with British Standards 882, 1198, 1199, 1200, 1201, concrete aggregates and building sand from natural sources;

“foul water” means any water contaminated by soil, waste water, trade effluent or other cause;

“grease trap” means a type of gully trap constructed for the retention and removal of grease, petroleum spirit or similar matter from waste water;

“gully trap” means an appliance for receiving waste water or surface water and passing it to a drain, lateral drain or sewer or for receiving surface water and passing it to a drain or watercourse and provided with a trap to prevent the passage of any gases through the trap;

“gutter” means a channel for the collection and conveyance of surface water;

“haunching” means concrete laid under and at the sides of a drain;

“high alumina cement” means cement manufactured by fusing aluminous and calcareous materials to a completely molten state and grinding the resulting clinker all so as to comply with British Standard 915 high alumina cement;

“interceptor” means an appliance for intercepting the flow of any gas along a drain;

“invert” means the lowest point of the interior of a sewer or drain at any cross section;

“joinder junction” means a junction so manufactured as to be sealed until it is required to be put into use;

“junction” means a pipe incorporating one or more branches;

“lateral drain” means that portion of the drainage which lies between a foul water sewer or a cesspool or a septic tank and a drain and forming part of the public sewerage system;

“latrine” means an earth closet, a pail closet or a water closet;

“manhole” means any chamber constructed on a drain or on a lateral drain or on a sewer so as to provide access thereto for inspection, testing or the clearance of obstructions and will be referred to as a drain manhole, lateral drain manhole, sewer manhole, respectively. The outfall manhole in a water drainage system means the last manhole within the owner's curtilage before the connection to the sewer, lateral drain or septic tank;

“manhole channel” means the open waterway through which the effluent flows and the invert of a manhole;

“mortar” means mortar of not less strength than that obtained by thoroughly mixing one part by volume of cement, 3 parts by volume of suitably graded fine aggregate with sufficient clean water to secure due workability and laid on a damp surface in its final setting position with a minimum of delay after such mixing;

“one pipe system” means the system of conveying foul water from a building whereby a soil pipe conveys soil and waste water directly and untrapped to a drain;

“pipe” means a hollow cylinder of uniform internal diameter or an egg shaped tube of uniform thickness throughout its length except for the joint and in the case of—

1.  

   (a)     pipes used for drains, shall consist of pipes and fittings complying with the undermentioned standards, or such other pipes and fittings which the Sewerage Authority may permit to be used—

   1.  

      (i)     British Standard 486 for asbestos pressure pipes,

   1.  

      (ii)     British Standard 78 for cast iron pipes (vertically cast) for water, gas and sewage and special castings for use therewith,

   1.  

      (iii)     British Standard 437 for cast iron spigot and socket drain pipes,

   1.  

      (iv)     British Standard 1211 for centrifugally cast spun iron pipes,

   1.  

      (v)     British Standard 556 for concrete cylindrical pipes and fittings,

   1.  

      (vi)     British Standard 540 for salt-glazed glass (vitreous) enamelled fire clay pipes including taper pipes, bends and junctions,

   1.  

      (vii)     British Standard 65 for salt-glazed ware pipes including taper pipes, bends and junctions,

   1.  

      (viii)     British Standard 534 for steel spigot and socket pipes and specials for water, gas and sewage.

1.  

   Where applicable the foregoing pipes shall comply with British Standard 539 dimensions of drain fittings salt-glazed ware and salt-glazed glass (vitreous) enamelled fire-clay and with British Standard 1130, schedule of cast iron drain fittings, spigot and socket type;

   1.  

      (b)     pipes used for ventilating pipes, waste water pipes and soil pipes, shall consist of pipes and fittings complying with the undermentioned standards, or such other pipes and fittings which the Sewerage Authority may permit to be used—

      1.  

         (i)     British Standard 582 for asbestos cement spigot and socket soil, waste and ventilating pipes and fittings, or

      1.  

         (ii)     British Standard 416 for cast iron spigot and socket soil, waste and ventilating pipes, and fittings and accessories;

   1.  

      (c)     pipes used for rainwater pipes and gutters and fittings in connection therewith shall consist of pipes, gutters and fittings complying with the undermentioned standards, or such other pipes, gutters and fittings which the Sewerage Authority may permit to be used—

      1.  

         (i)     British Standard 569 for asbestos cement spigot and socket rainwater pipes, gutters and fittings,

      1.  

         (ii)     Brtish Standard 460 for cast iron spigot and socket rainwater pipes, fittings and accessories,

      1.  

         (iii)     British Standard 1205 for cast iron gutters, fittings and accessories,

      1.  

         (iv)     British Standard 1091 for pressed steel gutters, pipes, fittings and accessories,

      1.  

         (v)     British Standard 1430 for aluminium rainwater goods cast and extruded, or

      1.  

         (vi)     British Standard 1431 for wrought copper and wrought zinc rainwater goods;

“rainwater pipe” means any pipe, gutter or fitting fixed on or in any building and used for the purpose of conveying surface water from such building;

“septic tank” means a tank or receptacle for the reception of sewerage or foul matter for the effluent from which the submerged outlet is provided;

“sewer” means any pipe used for the conveyance of soil, waste water and trade effluent and not covered by the definition of drain, lateral drain, soil pipe, ventilating pipe, waste pipe or waste water pipe;

“sewerage area” means an area declared to be a sewerage area under and for the purposes of this Act;

“sewerage authority” means any public authority having jurisdiction over any sewerage area or such other authority as the Governor General may, by notice in the Gazette, declare to be a sewerage authority for the purposes of this Act;

“slop sink” means a sink intended for receiving solid or liquid filth;

“soakaway” means a pit suitably prepared to receive liquid for seepage into the surrounding ground;

“soil fitment” means any water closet pan, urinal or slop sink used for receiving any excremental matter;

“soil” means the discharge from water closets and urinals and from gully traps serving stables, cowsheds, slaughter-houses and garages and similar appliances;

“soil pipe” means any pipe fixed on or in any building for the purpose of conveying soil from a soil fitment to a drain;

“subsoil drain” means any pipe or open channel designed or used for the removal of subsoil water;

“surface water” means the run-off of natural water from the surfaces of roofs, paved areas and ground which is uncontaminated with foul water;

“system of drainage” means the system by which the foul water is conveyed to sewers, lateral drains, or septic tanks or to some approved place of deposit or burial or by which surface water is conveyed to a watercourse or to a soakaway or to a tank;

“trade effluent” means the liquid discharge other than soil and waste water from any manufacturing process;

“ventilating pipe” means any pipe provided for the ventilation of a sewer, lateral drain, drain, soil pipe or of a waste water pipe;

“waste fitment” means any bath, lavatory basin or similar appliances;

“waste pipe” means a pipe provided for the purpose of conveying waste water from a waste fitment directly to a waste water pipe, soil pipe, or gully;

“waste water” means used water from a waste fitment;

“waste water pipe” means a pipe used above ground and fixed on or in a building for the purpose of conveying waste water from waste pipes to a soil pipe or gully;

“water closet” means latrine accommodation other than a urinal used, adapted or intended to be used for conveying human excreta in connection with a water carriage system;

“watercourse” means any river, stream, ditch or conduit including conduits constructed for the drainage of highways which is used for the conveyance of surface water.