Section 33
Any person who at any time hinders, obstructs or molests the
Authority or any of its employees, agents or contractors in the performance and execution of their duty or of anything which they are respectively empowered or required to do by virtue or in consequence of this Act, or removes any mark set up for the purpose of indicating any level or direction necessary for the execution of works authorised by this Act, is guilty of an offence and liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $10,000, imprisonment for a term not exceeding one year or both.
Altering service 34.
Any person who alters or causes or permits to be altered any service as agreed upon by the Authority so as to enable a greater supply of water to be taken than was agreed for is guilty of an offence and liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $20,000, and any service so altered may be replaced in the proper state by the Authority at such person’s expense.
Fraudulent measurement 35.
(1)
Any person who —
(a)
alters or causes or permits to be altered any inside service with intent to avoid the accurate measurement of water;
(b)
wilfully or negligently interferes with or injures any meter;
(c)
dishonestly alters the index of any meter used by the
Authority for measuring the water supplied by the Authority;
(d)
dishonestly prevents any meter used by the Authority from registering correctly the quantity of water supplied; or
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B.L.R.O. 3/2023 23
(e)
dishonestly abstracts or uses any water, is guilty of an offence and liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $20,000 and, in the case of a second or subsequent conviction, to a fine not exceeding $50,000, imprisonment for a term not exceeding 3 years or both.
(2)
Any inside service so altered and any meter so interfered with, injured or altered, shall be replaced or repaired by the Authority and the cost of such replacement or repair may be recovered upon the order of a magistrate from the person convicted under subsection (1) in the same manner as a fine.
Presumption against consumer in relation to altering of meters 36.
(1)
In any prosecution for an offence under section 35, the existence of artificial means for altering the index of any meter or for preventing any meter from duly registering the quantity of water supplied, or for abstracting, consuming or using water of the Authority, when such meter is under the custody or control of the consumer, shall be prima facie evidence that such alteration, prevention, abstraction or consumption, as the case may be, has been fraudulently, knowingly and wilfully caused by the consumer using such meter.
(2)
Any such person who fraudulently, knowingly and wilfully abstracts, causes to be wasted or diverted, consumes or uses any water of the
Authority is deemed to have committed the offence described in section 379
of the Penal Code (Chapter 22).
Default in compliance with notice — general penalty 37.
(1)
When any notice under this Act or any regulations made thereunder requires any act to be done or work to be executed by the owner or occupier of any premises and default is made in complying with the requirements of such notice, the person in default is, where no fine is specially provided for such default, guilty of an offence and liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $10,000 or imprisonment for a term not exceeding one year.
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(2)
When any such notice requires any act to be done or work to be executed for which no time is fixed by this Act or any regulations made thereunder, it shall fix a reasonable time for complying with the requirements.
Authority employee may demand names and addresses in certain cases 38.
(1)
Any person who is charged by any employee of the Authority or any police officer with any offence under this Act or any regulations made thereunder shall give his name and address to such employee or officer if so required.
(2)
The occupier of any premises shall, if required by any employee of the Authority or any police officer, give his name and the name and address of the owner of the premises, if known.
(3)
Any person who offends under this section or wilfully misstates his name and address or the name and address of the owner of any premises is guilty of an offence and liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $10,000.
Entry into waterworks without consent etc. [S 47/2014]