(1) A person shall not—
(a) wilfully damage the facilities or alter a meter belonging to a service licensee or otherwise prevent any such meter from correctly registering the quantity of water supplied by the service licensee; or
(b) connect to any pipe or meter any device capable of wrongfully abstracting, diverting, consuming or using water or of preventing any meter from correctly registering any quantity of water supplied by a service licensee.
(2) A person who contravenes subsection (1) commits an offence and upon summary conviction is liable to a fine not exceeding $5,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding one year or to both. (Substituted by Act 3 of 2016)
(3) Where there exists upon any premises or land any device capable of wrongful abstracting, diverting, consuming or using water or of preventing any meter from correctly registering any quantity of water supplied by a service licensee the burden of proof lies on the person charged to prove that the person has not unlawfully abstracted or diverted water or has not unlawfully prevented a meter from duly registering any quantity of water supplied by the service licensee.
(4) Without prejudice to subsection (2)—
(a) the court may order that the service licensee recover the amount of any damage sustained by the service licensee from a person convicted under that subsection; and
(b) the service licensee may discontinue service to that person.