### Water Pollution Control Ordinance 《水污染管制條例》

17. Tolo Harbour—transitional
(1) In this section—
existing deposits

19. Applications for licences
(1) A person who wishes to obtain a licence under section 20 for the purposes of section 8(1)(a), 8(1)(b) or 9(1) shall apply to the Authority in the prescribed form. (Amended 67 of 1990 s. 22)
(1A) The Authority is not required to consider an application under subsection (1) unless it is made by—
(a) the person who makes or authorizes the discharge or deposit; or
(b) the owner or occupier of the premises from which the discharge or deposit is made. (Added 67 of 1990 s. 12)
(2) The fee prescribed for an application under subsection (1) must be paid by a date specified in a demand note issued by the Authority. (Replaced 83 of 1993 s. 13)
(3) The Authority shall publicly notify all applications for licences under section 20 for the purposes of section 8(1)(a) or section 8(1)(b)— (Amended 67 of 1990 s. 22)
(a) by entering in the register such particulars thereof as may be prescribed;
(b) by causing a notice to be published at the expense of the applicant in an English language and a Chinese language newspaper determined by the Authority containing such particulars of the application and other information as may be prescribed and a statement of the place or places where a copy of the application may be inspected.
(3A) Subsection (3)(b) does not apply where the application is for a licence to discharge domestic sewage from a separate household unit. (Added 67 of 1990 s. 12)
(4) During the period of 30 days after the last notice is published pursuant to subsection (3)—
(a) a copy of the application shall be kept at each place notified under subsection (3)(b) and shall be available for inspection by the public during normal office hours;
(b) any person may, in such manner as may be prescribed, object to the granting of the application on the ground that it would tend to inhibit the attainment or maintenance of the relevant water quality objective.

### Water Pollution Control Ordinance 《水污染管制條例》

20. Grant of licences
(1) The Authority may, not earlier than 40 days after the last notice is published in a newspaper pursuant to section 19(3), either grant or refuse to grant a licence under this section. (Amended 67 of 1990 s. 22)
(2) If he refuses to grant a licence under this section the Authority shall notify the applicant in writing of his refusal and shall in the notice state his reasons therefor. (Amended 67 of 1990 s. 22)
(3) The Authority shall not grant a licence under this section where he considers that, even by imposing terms or conditions under subsection (4)—
(a) the discharge or deposit will endanger or is likely to endanger public health;
(b) the discharge or deposit will be or is likely to be harmful to the health or safety of any person engaged in the operation or maintenance of a drainage or sewerage system;
(c) the discharge or deposit will be or is likely to be harmful to a drainage or sewerage system; or
(d) the attainment and maintenance of water quality objectives will not be or is not likely to be achieved. (Replaced 67 of 1990 s. 13)
(3A) The Authority may refuse to grant a licence under this section if, in relation to the discharge or deposit, there has been a breach of any of the terms or conditions of a licence granted under section 15, 16 or 23A or a person has been convicted of an offence under this Ordinance in relation to the discharge or deposit. (Added 67 of 1990 s. 13)
(4) The Authority may grant the licence under this section in such terms and on such conditions as he thinks fit including terms and conditions relating to the matters set out in the First Schedule. (Amended 67 of 1990 s. 22)
(5) The Authority may grant a licence under this section for a period of not less than 2 years. (Replaced 67 of 1990 s. 13)
(6) Despite subsection (5) but subject to section 24, the Authority may, in respect of a licence granted under this section exclusively for the discharge of domestic sewage, as defined in section 9(3), specify in the licence that it continues in effect indefinitely. (Added 83 of 1993 s. 14)

### Water Pollution Control Ordinance 《水污染管制條例》

22. Effect of a licence
(1) A licence for the purposes of section 8(1)(a) shall, subject to the terms and conditions of the licence and during the period specified therein, authorize—
(a) the discharge of matter or any specified class or description of matter into the waters of Hong Kong;
(b) the deposit of matter or any specified class or description of matter (as provided in section 2(3)),
which, but for such authorization, would be a contravention of section 8(1)(a).
(2) A licence for the purposes of section 8(1)(b) shall, subject to the terms and conditions of the licence and during the period specified therein, authorize—
(a) the discharge of matter or any specified class or description of matter into inland waters;
(b) the deposit of matter or any specified class or description of matter (as provided in section 2(3)),
which, but for such authorization, would be a contravention of section 8(1)(b).
(3) A licence for the purposes of section 9(1) shall, subject to the terms and conditions of the licence and during the period specified therein, authorize—
(a) the discharge of matter, or any specified class or description of matter, into a communal sewer or communal drain; (Amended 67 of 1990 s. 22)
(b) the deposit of matter, or any specified class or description of matter (as provided in section 2(3)),
which, but for such authorization, would be a contravention of section 9(1).
(4) A licence shall not be limited to a discharge or deposit by a particular person but shall extend to the discharge or deposit in question when made by any person.

### Water Pollution Control Ordinance 《水污染管制條例》

23. Renewal of licences
(1) During such period before the expiry of a licence granted under section 20 as may be prescribed, the person who is making the discharge or deposit may apply in the prescribed form for a renewal of the licence.
(2) The fee prescribed for an application under subsection (1) must be paid by a date specified in a demand note issued by the Authority. (Replaced 83 of 1993 s. 15)
(3) Section 19(3), (3A) and (4) shall apply for the purpose of publicly notifying an application for the renewal of a licence for the purposes of section 8(1)(a) or 8(1)(b) as if it were an application for a licence.
(3A) Despite subsection (3), section 19(3), (3A) and (4) shall not apply for the purpose of publicly notifying an application where the application is in respect of a discharge from an applicant’s establishment that consumes 10 m3 or less of water a day and the rate of flow of the discharge applied for is not greater than that. (Added 83 of 1993 s. 15)
(4) The Authority may renew or refuse to renew the licence but, except where section 19(3A) applies, in the case of an application for renewal of a licence for the purposes of section 8(1)(a) or 8(1)(b) shall not do so earlier than 30 days after the last notice is published in a newspaper pursuant to subsection (3).
(5) Subsections (2), (3), (4) and (5) of section 20 shall apply to the renewal of a licence as they apply to the grant or refusal of a licence under that section.
(Amended 67 of 1990 s. 22)