Control of Pollution Act 1974

[F1 56 Interpretation etc. of Part II. S

(1) Except where the context otherwise requires, in this Part of this Act—

• “agriculture” and “agricultural” have the same meanings as in the Agriculture (Scotland) Act M1 1948;

• “coastal waters”, “controlled waters”, “ground waters”, “inland waters” and “relevant territorial waters” have the meanings given by section 30A(1) above;

• “effluent” means any liquid, including particles of matter and other substances in suspension in the liquid;

• “micro-organism” includes any microscopic biological entity which is capable of replication;

• “sewage effluent” includes any effluent from the sewage disposal or sewerage works of a local authority within the meaning of the M2 Sewerage (Scotland) Act 1968;

• “substance” includes micro-organisms and any natural or artificial substance or other matter, whether it is in solid or liquid form or in the form of a gas or vapour;

• “trade effluent” includes any effluent which is discharged from premises used for carrying on any trade or industry, other than surface water and domestic sewage;

• “underground strata” means strata subjacent to the surface of any land;

• “water authority” means an authority established in accordance with section 3 of the M3 Water (Scotland) Act 1980;

• “watercourse” includes all rivers, streams, ditches, drains, cuts, culverts, dykes, sluices, sewers, and passages through which water flows except mains and other pipes which belong to the water authority or are used by a water authority or any other person for the purposes only of providing a supply of water to any premises.

(2) In this Part of this Act—

(a) any reference to the waters of any loch or pond or of any river or watercourse includes a reference to the bottom, channel or bed of any loch, pond, river or, as the case may be, watercourse which is for the time being dry; and

(b) any reference to water contained in underground strata is a reference to water so contained otherwise than in a sewer, pipe, reservoir, tank or other underground works constructed in any such strata.

(3) For the purposes of the definition of “trade effluent” in subsection (1) above any premises (whether on land or not) wholly or mainly used (whether for profit or not) for agricultural purposes or for the purposes of fish farming or for scientific research or experiment shall be deemed to be (and in the case of fish farms, always to have been) premises used for carrying on a trade.

(4) For the purposes of this Part of this Act the area of a river purification authority shall include all controlled waters off the coast of the area which is the authority’s area apart from this subsection; and any question as to whether any place is included in the area of a river purification authority by virtue of this subsection shall be determined by the Secretary of State.

(5) For the purposes of this Part of this Act a notice imposing conditions with respect to discharges which was given by a river purification authority in pursuance of—

(a) section 28(4) of the Rivers (Prevention of Pollution) (Scotland) Act 1951; or

(b) section 1(5) of the Rivers (Prevention of Pollution) (Scotland) Act 1965,

shall be treated as having given the authority’s consent in pursuance of the Act in question for those discharges subject to those conditions.

(6) Section 30(5) of this Act shall have effect in relation to this Part of this Act as if for any reference to Part I of this Act there were substituted a reference to this Part of this Act.]

Textual Amendments

F1 S. 56 repealed (E.W.) by Water Act 1989 (c. 15, SIF 130), ss. 58(7), 101(1), 141(6), 160(1)(2)(4), 163, 189(4)-(10), 190, 193(1), Sch. 26 paras. 3(1)(2), 17, 40(4), 41(1), 57(6), 58, Sch. 27 Pt. I and substituted (S.) by Water Act 1989 (c. 15, SIF 130), ss. 58(7), 101(1), 141(6), 160(1)(2)(4), 168, 189(4)-(10), 190, 193(1), Sch. 23 para. 6, Sch. 26 paras. 3(1)(2), 17, 40(4), 57(6), 58, Sch. 27 Pt. I

Modifications etc. (not altering text)

C1 S. 56(1)-(4) extended (2.12.1991) by S.I. 1991/2539, reg. 3, Sch.

S. 56(1)-(4) amended (27.8.1993) by 1993 c. 12, ss. 40, 51(3), Sch. 3 Pt. II para. 16 (with ss. 42, 46)

Marginal Citations

M1 1948 c.45(2:1).

M2 1968 c.47(100:2).

M3 1980 c.45(130).