20. Board may cut off supply in default of payment

If any person entitled to a supply of water, gas or electricity under any such agreement as is mentioned in section 16, makes default in payment of any sum payable by him under the agreement, the Board may cut off the supply of water, gas or electricity by severing or disconnecting any pipe, line or other work through which water, gas or electricity is supplied and may, until any sum payable under the agreement together with the expenses incurred by the Board in so cutting off are fully paid, discontinue the supply of water, gas or electricity to that person.

If in the opinion of the Board any person is responsible for the misuse or waste of any water supplied by the Board, the Board may give notice in writing to that person calling upon him to cause the misuse or waste to be discontinued within a period to be specified in the notice and if any such misuse or waste continues after the expiry of that period, the Board may cut off the supply of water to that person by severing or disconnecting the service pipe or by such other means as it thinks fit.

In any case where the Board is of the opinion that immediate action is necessary as a work of emergency in the interests of public safety or in order to avoid undue interference with the efficient supply of gas or electricity to other consumers or for the conservation of electricity supplies or for such other reasons affecting the public interest, it may forthwith discontinue the supply of gas or electricity to any person and shall give immediate notice in writing of the discontinuance to such person.

Where any person operates an electrical or supply installation without a licence issued under Part V, the Board may forthwith cut off the supply of electricity to that electrical or supply installation.

Where in pursuance of subsection (2), (3) or (4) the Board has cut off any supply of water, gas or electricity, the Board may discontinue such supply until all expenses incurred by the Board are fully paid.

If at any time after the supply of water, gas or electricity to any premises has been cut off by the Board, it is found that any such supply has been renewed without the authority of the Board and that water, gas or electricity is being used by any person or persons on the premises, the occupier of the premises shall be deemed, until the contrary is proved, to have authorised such user, and shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $5,000 and to a further fine not exceeding $250 for every day during which the offence continues after conviction.

Any employee of the Board duly appointed for that purpose may at all reasonable times enter any premises to which water, gas or electricity is or has been supplied by the Board in order to examine and if necessary repair, renew or replace the pipes, lines, meters, accumulators, fittings, works or apparatus for the supply of water, gas and electricity belonging to or which are supplied from mains or cables belonging to the Board and for the purpose of ascertaining the quantity of water, gas or electricity consumed or supplied or, when the Board is authorised to cut off the supply of water, gas or electricity from any premises, for the purpose of removing any pipes, electric lines, accumulators, fittings, works or apparatus belonging to the Board and repairing any damage caused by such entry, inspection or removal.