2. Regulations
(1) Waterworks Act
Waterworks Act was promulgated on June 15, 1957, and came into effect on December 14, 1957 after the promulgation of related Cabinet Order and Ordinance of the Ministry of Health and Welfare.
The purpose of this Act is to supply clean, ample, and inexpensive water, and through water supply, this Act shall contribute to the improvement of public health and living environment. From this perspective, the Act was implemented to make the construction and management of water supply appropriate, and to protect and promote water supply business especially at the initial stage. The Act regulates water supply businesses, bulk water supply businesses (a business that supplies treated water to water supply businesses), and private water supply systems. In addition to business management, the regulations of this Act cover the construction of water supply facilities, hygienic measures, etc.
In order to expand water supply business in a well-planned manner and address various problems at that time, the Act was amended in 1977. Wide-Area Water Supply Reinforcement Program and the regulations of private water supply facilities were introduced.
Furthermore, in 2001, the Act was amended so that water supply businesses can entrust services to a third party with high technical capacity for better management, because most of the water supply businesses were managed by small municipalities, and their management of water quality, etc. were very vulnerable. In the case of merging between two water businesses, business license became able to be obtained by notification rather than approval by the relaxation of regulations. Also, to prevent further outbreaks of water-borne diseases resulting from polluted water, schools and amusement parks, which are used by many people but without inhabitation, became regulated as a private water supply system. It became clear that the responsibilities of private water supply facilities management had to be written in the rules of supply to promote better management of these facilities, which the Act had not applied.
Waterworks Act (Act No. 177 of June 15, 1957)
This English translation of the Waterworks Act has been prepared up to the revisions of Act No. 87 of 2005. This is an unofficial translation.
Chapter1 General Provisions (Article 1 to 5)
Article 1 Purpose of This Act
Article 2 Responsibility
Article 3 Definitions of the Terms
Article 4 Water Quality Standards
Article 5 Facility Standards
Chapter1.2 Wide-Area Water Supply Reinforcement Program (Article 5.2)
Chapter2 Water Supply Business
Section1 Business License, etc. (Article 6 to 13)
Article 6 Business License and Management Actor
Article 7 Application for License
Article 8 Standards for License
Article 9 Conditions
Article 10 Change of Business
Article 11 Suspension and Abolition of Business
Article 12 Supervision of Construction by Engineer
Article 13 Notification and Inspection before Commencing Supply
Section 2 Services (Article 14 to 25)
Article 14 Rules of Supply
Article 15 Obligation to Supply
Article 16 Structure and Material of Water Service Installations
Article 16.2 Water Service Installations Works
Article 17 Inspection of Water Service Installations
Article 18 Request for Inspection
Article 19 Water Supply Technical Manager
Article 20 Water Quality Inspection
Article 20.2 Registration
Article 20.3 Disqualification
Article 20.4 Standards for Registration
Article 20.5 Renewal of Registration
Article 20.6 Obligation to Undertake Entrustment, etc.
Article 20.7 Notification of Changes
Article 20.8 Operational Rules
Article 20.9 Suspension of Abolition of Operation
Article 20.10 Keeping and Making Available for Public Inspection of Financial
Statements
Article 20.11 Order for Conformity
Article 20.12 Order for Improvement
Article 20.13 Rescission of Registration, etc.
Article 20.14 Bookkeeping
Article 20.15 Collection of Reports and On-site Inspection
Article 20.16 Public Notice
Article 21 Health Check-up
Article 22 Hygienic measures
Article 23 Emergency Suspension of supply
Article 24 Fire Hydrant
Article 24.2 Provision of Information
Article 24.3 Entrustment of services
Article 25 Exception for Small Water Supply Business
Section 3 Designated Water Service Installation Works Contractor (Article 25.2 to Article 25.11)
Article 25.2 Application for Designation
Article 25.3 Standards for Designation
Article 25.4 Chief Engineer of Water Service Installations Works
Article 25.5 License for Chief Engineer of Water Service Installations Works
Article 25.6 Examination of Chief Engineer of Water Service Installations Works
Article 25.7 Notification of Changes, etc.
Article 25.8 Standards for Business
Article 25.9 Attendance of Chief Engineer of Water Service Installations Works
Article 25.10 Report or Submission of Material
Article 25.11 Rescission of Designation, etc.
Section 4 Designated Examining Body (Article 25.12 to Article 25.27)
Article 25.12 Designation of Designated Examining Body
Article 25.13 Standards for Designation
Article 25.14 Public Notice of Designation, etc.
Article 25.15 Appointment and Dismissal of Officers
Article 25.16 Examiner
Article 25.17 Obligation of Confidentiality
Article 25.18 Rules of Examination Affairs
Article 25.19 Approval of Business Plan, etc.
Article 25.20 Bookkeeping
Article 25.21 Order of Supervision
Article 25.22 Report, Inspection, etc.
Article 25.23 Suspension of Abolition of Examination Affairs
Article 25.24 Rescission of Designation, etc.
Article 25.25 Conditions attached to designation, etc.
Article 25.26 Administration of Examination Affairs by the Minister of Health, Labour, and Welfare
Article 25.27 Delegation to Ordinance of the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare
Chapter3 Bulk Water Supply Business (Article 26 to 31)
Article 26 Business License
Article 27 Application for License
Article 28 Standards for License
Article 29 Conditions
Article 30 Change of Business
Article 31 Application Mutatis Mutandis
Chapter4 Private Water Supply System (Article 32 to 34)
Article 32 Confirmation
Article 33 Application for Confirmation
Article 34 Application Mutatis Mutandis
Chapter4.2 Private Water Supply Facility (Article 34.2 to Article 34.4)
Article 34.2
Article 34.3 Obligation of Inspection
Article 34.4 Application Mutatis Mutandis
Chapter5 Supervision (Article 35 to 39)
Article 35 Rescission of License, etc.
Article 36 Instruction of Improvement, etc.
Article 37 Order of Suspension of Water Supply
Article 38 Change of Conditions of Supply
Article 39 Collection of Reports and On-site Inspection
Chapter6 Miscellaneous provisions (Article 40 to 50.3)
Article 40 Emergency Support of Water Supply
Article 41 Recommendation of Rationalization
Article 42 Purchase by Local Government
Article 43 Request for Pollution Control of Water Sources
Article 44 Subsidy from National Treasury
Article 45 Special Arrangement by the State
Article 45.2 Promotion of Research and Development, etc.
Article 45.3 Fees
Article 46 Affairs to be Handled by Prefecture
Article 47 (Deleted)
Article 48 Jurisdictional Governor
Article 48.2 Replacement of Terms and Phrases Concerning Cities Establishing Health Centers and Special Wards
Article 48.3 Appeal
Article 49 Replacement of Terms and Phrases concerning Special Wards
Article 50 Exception for Private Water Supply System Established by the State
Article 50.2 Exception for Private Water Supply Facility Established by the State
Article 50.3 Transitional Measures
Chapter7 Penal Provisions (Article 51 to 57)
Supplementary Provisions