Water Pollution Control Law_Chapter I

Chapter I GENERAL PROVISIONS

Article 1
(Purpose)

The purposes of this Law are to prevent the pollution of water (including form of deterioration of the condition of water other than the deterioration of water quality; the same hereinafter) in the Public Water Areas by regulating effluent discharged by factories or establishments into the Public Water Areas, thereby to protect human health and to preserve the living environment and to protect sufferers by setting forth stipulations regarding the responsibilities of the proprietors of factories or establishments to compensate the damage in cases where human health is damaged by polluted water or wastewater discharged from factories or establishments.


Article 2
(Definitions)

1. The term "Public Water Areas" in this Law shall mean water areas of public use such as rivers, lakes, ports and harbors, coastal seas, etc. , including such waterways connected thereto as pubic waterways, irrigation waterways and other waterways subject to public use (excluding public sewers and river-basin sewers as provided for by Sub-paragraphs 3 and 4, Article 2 of the Sewerage Law (No.79 of 1958), for which a terminal-treatment plant as provided for by Sub-paragraph 6 of the same Article is established (including the public sewers connected to such river-basin sewers)).

2. The term "Specified Facilities" in this Law shall mean those facilities which discharge polluted water or wastewater meeting either of the following conditions, and which are to be specified by Cabinet Order:

  • (1) Containing cadmium or other substances to be specified by Cabinet Order as substances which may cause harmful damage to human health:
  • (2) Being of a degree, that may cause damage to the living environment, as chemical oxygen demand and other substances, to be specified by Cabinet Order as showing the condition of water pollution (including thermal pollution, but excluding pollution by the substances as referred to by the preceding Sub-paragraph).

3. The term "'Specified Facilities in Designated Areas" in this Law shall mean those facilities which discharge polluted water or wastewater of a degree defined in preceding Sub-paragraph (2) into designated water areas as provided for in Sub-paragraph (1), Paragraph 2, Article 4, and which are to be specified by Cabinet Order.

4. The term "Oil Storage Facilities etc.," in this Law shall mean facilities which store heavy oil or other oils as stipulated by other government ordinances (and hereinafter referred to simply as "Oils") or facilities which treat oil-containing water (exclusive of Specified Facilities) that are stipulated by Cabinet Order.

5. The term "Effluent" as used in this Law shall mean the water discharged from the factories or the establishments (hereinafter to be referred to as "the specified establishments"), which have the specified facilities (including the specified facilities in the designated areas, hereinafter the same) installed therein to the public water areas.

6. The tern "Polluted water, etc." in this Law shall mean polluted water or wastewater discharged from specified facilities.

7. The term "Specified Underground Percolated Water" in this Law shall mean water poured into underground from specified factories or establishments that have facilities for the manufacture, use, or treatment of substances as provided for in Sub-paragraph (1), paragraph 2 of this Article (hereinafter referred to as "Harmful Substances"), (excluding specified facilities in designated areas hereinafter referred to as "Specified Factories that Use Harmful Substances"), which contains wastewater, etc., including treated wastewater related to Specified Factories or Establishments that Use Harmful Substances.

8. The term "Domestic Effluent" in this Law shall mean water discharged in consequence of human activities such as cooking, washing, bathing, etc., into Public Water Areas (excluding Effluent).

  • "Cabinet Order" of the text of Paragraph 2 = Order 1
  • "Cabinet Order" of Sub-paragraph 1 = Order 2
  • "Cabinet Order" of Sub-paragraph 2 = Order 3
  • "Cabinet Order" of Sub-paragraph 3 = 2 of Order 3