WATER
PURIFICATION SYSTEM (REGULATION OF USE) RULES, 2023
PREAMBLE
In exercise of the powers
conferred by sections 3, 6 and 25 of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 (29
of 1986), the Central Government hereby makes the following rules to regulate
the use of water purification system, namely:-
Rule – 1. Short title and commencement
(1)
These rules may be called the Water
Purification System (Regulation of Use) Rules, 2023.
(2)
They shall come into force on the expiry of
one year from the date of their publication in the Official Gazette.
Rule – 2. Definition
In
these rules, unless the context otherwise requires, -
(a)
"Board" means the Central
Pollution Control Board constituted under section 3 of the Water
(Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974 (6 of 1974);
(b)
"Bureau" means the Bureau of
Indian Standard established under section 3 of the Bureau of Indian
Standard Act, 2016 (11 of 2016);
(c)
"commercial water purification
system" means equipment or device, having reverse osmosis based water
treatment system that reduces total dissolved solids, chemical contamination to
safe level and removes physical particles including microbiological impurities
in water at point of use;
(d)
"discarded element" means
element which is discarded from the domestic water purification system due to
manufacturing defect, wear, tear, loss of its utility attributes or achieved
its end of life;
(e)
"domestic water purification
system" means equipment or device, having reverse osmosis based water
treatment system with a capacity of twenty-five litres per hour that reduces
total dissolved solids, chemical contamination to safe level and removes
physical particles including microbiological impurities in water at point of
use;
(f)
"manufacturer" means a
person or an entity or a company as defined in the Companies Act, 2013 (18 of
2013) or a factory as defined in the Factories Act, 1948 (63 of 1948) or a
Small and Medium Enterprises as defined in the Micro, Small and Medium
Enterprises Development Act, 2006 (27 of 2006);
(g)
"point of use" means
location of water purification system close to the use point and deliver
directly to a single tap or multiple taps;
(h)
"reject water" means water
coming out of water purification system and not treated by the system;
(i)
"water supply agency" means
any entity, engaged in treatment, distribution or supply of water in a given
geographical area on commercial or obligatory responsibility basis arising due
to applicable law for the time being in force.
Rule – 3. Regulation of use
(1)
The user of domestic water
purification system and commercial water purification system shall comply with
the guidelines issued by the Board in this regard.
(2)
The guidelines shall be published by
the Board for handling, storage, management and utilisation of reject water and
discarded elements generated from the domestic water purification system and
commercial water purification system within a period of six months from the
date of publication of these rules in the Official Gazette.
(3)
Every domestic water purification
system manufactured, imported, produced or assembled on or after the
commencement of these rules shall bear the standard mark under a license from
the Bureau as per the Indian Standard IS:16240, under the Bureau of Indian
Standards (Conformity Assessment) Regulations, 2018.
(4)
Discarded elements from domestic water
purification system shall be regulated as per the provisions of the Plastic
Waste Management Rules, 2016, the E-Waste (Management) Rules, 2022 and the
Hazardous and Other Waste (Management and Transboundary Movement) Rules, 2016.
(5)
The State Pollution Control Board or
the Pollution Control Committee of the Union territory concerned shall be the
nodal agency for ensuring the compliance of the provision of this rule.
Rule – 4. Responsibilities of the manufacturer or user of domestic water purification system
(1)
The manufacturer of domestic water purification
system shall obtain the Standard Mark under a license from the Bureau as per
the Indian Standard IS:16240 under the Bureau of Indian Standards (Conformity
Assessment) Regulations, 2018, within a period of one year from the date of
publication of these rules in the Official Gazette.
(2)
Discarded elements from domestic water
purification system shall be managed by the manufacturer as per the provisions
of the Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2016, the E-Waste (Management) Rules,
2022 and the Hazardous and Other Waste (Management and Transboundary Movement)
Rules, 2016.
(3)
No domestic water purification system
shall be sold by the manufacturer without the Standard Mark and certification
by the Bureau.
(4)
The manufacturer of water purification
system shall submit compliance report to the State Pollution Control Board or
the Pollution Control Committee, as the case may be, on or before the 30th
November of following financial year, which the State Pollution Control Board
or the Pollution Control Committee shall forward to the Board within one month
thereafter.
(5)
The Board shall prepare and publish
guidelines for management, storage, utilisation and disposal of reject water
and discarded elements generated from domestic water purification system within
the a period of six months from the date of publication of these rules in the
Official Gazette.
(6)
The Board shall create public
awareness through advertisement, publication, posters or by other means of
communication as it may deem fit.
(7)
The Board shall monitor the implementation
of the provisions of these rules.
(8)
The Bureau shall prepare or modify the
applicable standard code IS:16240 for domestic water purification system having
regard to the available technology, corresponding recovery efficiency and
output water quality reliability.
(9)
The user of domestic water
purification system shall comply with the guidelines issued by the Board for
management, storage, utilisation and disposal of reject water and discarded
elements generated from domestic water purification system.
Rule – 5. Responsibilities of the manufacturer or user of commercial water purification system
(1)
The user of commercial water
purification system shall apply for authorisation within a period of six months
from the date of publication of these rules in the Official Gazette to the
State Pollution Control Board or the Pollution Control Committee, as the case
may be, for grant of registration.
(2)
The user of commercial water
purification system shall comply with the provisions of the Water (Prevention
and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974 (6 of 1974) and the rules made thereunder.
Provided
that the use of commercial water purification system installed and operating on
or before the date of publication of these Rules in the Official Gazette shall
apply for consent to operate, to the State Pollution Control Board or the
Pollution Control Committee, as the case may be, within a period of six months
from the date of publication of these rules in the Official Gazette.
(3)
The State Pollution Control Board or
Pollution Control Committee, as the case may be, shall ensure that the
commercial water purification system are regulated within the provisions of the
Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution), Act, 1974 (6 of 1974) and the
Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 and the rules made thereunder.
(4)
The State Pollution Control Board or
Pollution Control Committee, as the case may be, shall register manufacturers
and importers of the commercial water purification system as per the provisions
of the Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2016 and the E-Waste (Management) Rules,
2022.
(5)
The State Pollution Control Board or
Pollution Control Committee, as the case may be, shall create public awareness
through advertisement, publication, posters or by other means of communication.
(6)
The State Pollution Control Board or
Pollution Control Committee, as the case may be, shall monitor the
implementation of the provisions of these rules.
(7)
The State Pollution Control Board or
Pollution Control Committee, as the case may be, shall submit compliance report
to Central Pollution Control Board on or before the 15th December of following
financial year.
(8)
The Board shall compile annual reports
received from State Pollution Control Boards or Pollution Control Committees
and submit to the Central Government on or before the 30th December of
following financial year.
Rule – 6. Responsibilities of water supply agencies
Water
supply agency, local bodies, Public Health Engineering Department, Jal Nigam,
Municipal Corporation, Jal Board, Municipalities, private and public sector
agencies engaged in potable water supply, shall inform the consumers about the
water sources and quality, including total dissolved solids concentration of
water being supplied through billing instruments and also through public
advertisement in newspaper and other mass media means on regular basis.
Rule – 7. Conformance label on domestic water purification system
(1)
Every domestic water purification
system manufacture, imported, produced or assembled on or after the
commencement of these rules shall be affixed with a conformance label meeting
the following requirements, namely:-
(a)
the label shall be durable and
legible; and
(b)
the label shall be affixed on a part
necessary for normal operation of the product and not normally requiring
replacement during the life of the product.
(2)
The conformance label shall contain
the following information, namely:-
(a)
name and address of the manufacturer,
importer, producer or assembler, as the case may be, of the water purification
system;
(b)
statement that the water purification
system conforms to provisions of these rules and the Environment (Protection)
Rules, 1986;
(c)
the licence number issued by the
Bureau;
(d)
date of manufacture of the water
purification system or in case of import, the date of import, of the water
purification system; and
(e)
rated recovery efficiency and
corresponding water reject generation.
Rule – 8. Miscellaneous
(1)
In case of any dispute or difficulty
in implementation of these rules, the matter shall be referred to the nodal
agency.
(2)
The nodal agency shall constitute a
Committee for process integrity and recovery efficiency assessment related
issues and to advise on all matters related to implementation of these rules
including disposal of disputes, if any to the nodal agency.