The Water Pollution Rules, 2001 (as amended) was the first subsidiary legislation under the Environmental Management Act Chapter 35:05 to be revised.  The Water Pollution Rules, 2019 (WPR) became effective on October 10, 2019.

The WPR and the Water Pollution (Fees) Regulations, 2019 are meant to: 

• Provide an integrated approach to watershed management regulating point sources of pollution and managing non-point sources of pollution and encourage wastewater re-use.
• Further comply with the tenets of the Polluter Pays Principle (PPP).

Any facility with parameters or substances concentrations outside Schedule I of the WPR are deemed a source of water pollutants. The EMA will notify such a facility to apply for Water Pollution Permit (WPP) where:

1. There is a point-source discharge(s) or commonly referred to as end-of-pipe discharge; and
2. The effluent discharge is outside Schedule II of the WPR; and
3. The effluent discharge is not regulated by a Certificate of Environmental Clearance (CEC).

A facility with an issued WPP is required to meet the Schedule II end of pipe discharge standards within a specified timeframe. The permit will be effective for no more than five (5) years.