15. Written permission for discharge of trade effluent, oil, chemical, sewage or other polluting matters

Any person who discharges, or causes or permits to be discharged, any trade effluent, oil, chemical, sewage or other polluting matters into any drain or land, without a written permission from the Director‑General, shall be guilty of an offence.

Where any trade effluent, oil, chemical, sewage or other polluting matters has been discharged from any premises into any drain or land, it is presumed, until the contrary is proved, that the occupier of the premises, other than a principal contractor to which section 35 applies, had discharged, or caused or permitted to be discharged, the trade effluent, oil, chemical, sewage or other polluting matters in contravention of subsection (1).

Subject to subsection (4), any person who causes or suffers any trade effluent, oil, chemical, sewage or other polluting matters to enter or pass into any drain or land without a written permission from the Director‑General (whether wilfully or by accident) must immediately inform the Director‑General of such occurrence.

The requirements in subsection (3) may be waived by the Director‑General in any case where the amount of trade effluent, oil, chemical, sewage or other polluting matters is, in the opinion of the Director‑General, not of a substantial nature.

Any person who fails to comply with subsection (3) shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $5,000.

This section does not apply to the discharge of a toxic substance or hazardous substance to which section 17 applies.