Chapter III Chapter III

Offences and Penalties

1. (1) No owner or occupier of any land or building to which water is supplied by the department shall either willfully or negligently or otherwise suffer such water to be wasted or shall suffer pipe, taps, works and fittings for the supply of water to remain without repair so as to cause wastage of water.
2. (2) No person shall cause wastage of water or misuse of public stand post, hydrants pipe, etc.
3. (3) Wherever the Executive Engineer has reason to believe that as a result of any defect in pipes, taps or fittings connected with water supply, the water supply to the land or building is being wasted, he may by a written notice, require the owner or the occupant of the land or building within such period, as may be specified in the notice to repair and make good the defect.
4. (4) If the repairs are not effected within the time specified in the said notice as in sub-section (3) of this section, the Executive Engineer may cause such repairs to be carried out and recover the cost of repair from the owner or occupant of the land or buildings as the case may be as an arrear of water charge.
5. (5) The owner or occupant of any land or building on which the water supplied by the department, under this Act, is wasted for poor condition of pipes, main or other works he/she shall give notice of the same to the competent authority forthwith.

1. (1) (a) No person shall damage or cause damage to water reservoir main, pipes or other appliances, for supply of water under the management of the department.
   • (b) No person shall draw off or divert any water from water reservoir, main, pipes or hydrant under the management and control of the department.
   • (c) No person other than the authorized staff or licensed plumber or fitter, shall open or keep open the valves or any water works of the department meant for the supply of water to the public.
   • (d) No person shall cause or suffer to percolate or drain into or upon any water works whereby the water therein may, in any way, be fouled, polluted or its quality and quantity altered;
   • (e) No person shall cause or allow to enter any animal into such water works;
   • (f) No person shall bathe or wash clothes in such water works, notified water sources;
   • (g) No person shall throw or put anything into or upon the water in such water works.
2. (2) Whoever contravenes sub-section (1) shall be punishable with fine which may extend to ₹ 50,000 (Rupees fifty thousand) only.

Punishment for taping or making illegal connection or other illegal activities :- Whoever, being a consumer or otherwise, with an intention to get unlawful gain, connects service lines without proper permission from the competent authority, damages or tampers a water meter, or uses any device or method which interferes with the accuracy and proper metering of the water supply, shall be punishable -

1. (1) In case of a domestic consumer, on first conviction with fine which may extend to ten thousand rupees, and in the event of a second or subsequent conviction with imprisonment for a term not exceeding six months and with fine which may extend to twenty-five thousand rupees.
2. (2) In case of non domestic consumer, on first conviction with fine which may extend to fifteen thousand rupees and in the event of a second or subsequent conviction imprisonment for a term not exceeding two years and with fine which may extend to fifty thousand rupees.

1. (1) Whoever, dishonestly :-
   • (a) Cuts or removes or takes away or transfers any material or meter from any installation or any other place, or site where it may be rightfully or lawfully stored, deposited, kept, stocked, situated or located including during transportation, without the consent of the concerned department or the owner or the licensee, as the case may be, whether or not the act is done for profit or gain ; or
   • (b) Stores, possesses or otherwise keeps in his premises, custody or control, any material or meter without the consent of its owner, whether or not the act is done for profit or gain; or
   • (c) Loads, carries or moves from one place to another any material or meter without the consent of its owner, whether or not the act is done for profit or gain; or
   • (d) Obstructs or causes to obstruct personally or in connivance with any other person tapping of any water source, shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction, to imprisonment for a term which may extend to three years but shall not be less than three months, or fine which may extend to rupees twenty thousand but shall not be less than rupees five thousand or with both.
2. (2) If a person, having been already convicted of an offence punishable under sub-section (1) is found guilty of an offence under the said sub-section, shall be punishable for the second or subsequent offence for a term of imprisonment which shall not be less than six months but which may extend to three years and shall also be liable to fine which shall not be less than rupees ten thousand which may extend to thirty thousand.

Whoever, dishonestly, receives any stolen Government Water Supply material knowingly or having reasons to believe the same to be stolen property, shall be liable, on conviction to the punishment of imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to three years, or fine which may extend to rupees ten thousand or with both.

1. (1) The Superintending Engineer or such other officer not below the rank of Executive Engineer or such other officer specially empowered, shall have the power to decide all disputes relating to the liability for the payment of tariff, fees and other charges or exemption therefrom. Provided that notwithstanding anything contained in the aforesaid provisions, any person aggrieved by the final order passed under sub-section (2) of section 5 and other relevant sections of the Act, may, within thirty days of the said order, prefer an appeal to the Superintending Engineer having jurisdiction over the area.
2. (2) No appeal under sub-section (1) shall be entertained unless an amount equal to one third of the assessed amount is deposited within the period prescribed for the purpose.
3. (3) The appellate authority referred to in sub-section (1) shall dispose of the appeal within thirty days of presentation of appeal after hearing the parties.
4. (4) The orders of the appellate authority passed under sub-section (3) above shall be final.

If at any time, supply of water is proposed to be stopped for more than twenty four hours in any local area or to any premises, the competent authority may give oral or written notice before twenty four hours in advance, inform the local authority, inhabitants of such local area or the owner of such premises as the case may be.

1. (1) Any officer not below the rank of Junior Engineer authorized in this behalf by the competent authority may, between 9 am and 5 pm, enter into any premises for the purpose of inspecting any water installation.
2. (2) The power conferred by this section includes power to break open the door/gate where the Executive Engineer or such Gazetted Officer has a reason to believe that water is being misused or used without proper permission. Provided that the power to break open the door/gate shall be exercised only after the owner or any other person in occupation of the premises, if he is present therein, refuses to open the door/gate on being called to do so.
3. (3) If such officer is, at any such time, refused admission into such premises for the purpose and prevented from making such inspection, the competent authority may, after giving the consumer an opportunity of being heard, cutoff the supply of water to that premises; Provided that if any such premises is an apartment in the actual occupancy of a woman who, according to the custom does not appear in public, such officer shall, before entering such apartment, give notice to such woman that she is at liberty to withdraw and afford her every reasonable facility for withdrawing and may then enter the apartment.