Statute Details
- Title: Sewerage and Drainage (Fees) Regulations 2015
- Act Code: SDA1999-S251-2015
- Legislation Type: Subsidiary legislation (SL)
- Authorising Act: Sewerage and Drainage Act (Cap. 294)
- Enacting Authority: Public Utilities Board (PUB), with Ministerial approval
- Commencement: 30 April 2015
- Current Version Status: Current version as at 27 Mar 2026
- Key Provisions: Regulation 2 (fees for copies of plans/records), Regulation 2A (fees for clearance certificates/approvals for works), Regulation 2B (fees for administrative exemptions), Regulation 3 (remission/refund of fees)
- Notable Amendments (from timeline): S 111/2022 (w.e.f. 31 Mar 2022); S 912/2023 (w.e.f. 1 Jan 2024); S 206/2025 (w.e.f. 1 Apr 2025)
What Is This Legislation About?
The Sewerage and Drainage (Fees) Regulations 2015 (“Fees Regulations”) is a Singapore subsidiary law made under the Sewerage and Drainage Act (Cap. 294). Its central purpose is straightforward: it sets out the fees payable to the Public Utilities Board (PUB) for certain administrative and regulatory processes connected to sewerage and drainage works.
In practice, the Fees Regulations do not create new substantive engineering or compliance obligations. Instead, they operationalise the cost and administrative handling of requests that arise under the Sewerage and Drainage Act—such as obtaining copies of plans or records, applying for clearance certificates or approvals relating to specified works, and seeking exemptions from particular requirements. For practitioners, this means the Regulations are primarily about process and payment, but those elements can be decisive for timing, document management, and the feasibility of submissions.
The Regulations also include a discretionary mechanism for remission or refund of fees. This is important where an application is withdrawn, where there is an error in fee assessment, or where PUB considers that fairness requires relief. Overall, the Fees Regulations form part of the “front-end” administrative framework that supports the broader regulatory regime for sewerage and drainage works in Singapore.
What Are the Key Provisions?
Regulation 1 (Citation and commencement) provides the legal identity and start date of the Fees Regulations. It may be cited as the Sewerage and Drainage (Fees) Regulations 2015 and came into operation on 30 April 2015. While this appears procedural, commencement dates matter for fee disputes, especially where applications straddle amendments or where a fee was paid under an earlier version.
Regulation 2 (Fees for copies of plans or records) sets a fixed fee for obtaining copies of specified plans or records. Under Regulation 2(1), the fee payable under section 13A(2) of the Sewerage and Drainage Act for a copy of any plan or record referred to in section 13A(1)(a) of the Act is $3.55. This fee is updated by amendments over time (as reflected in the timeline), so counsel should verify the version applicable at the time the request was made.
Regulation 2(2) (as shown in the extract) indicates that a particular provision was deleted by S 206/2025 w.e.f. 1 Apr 2025. For practitioners, this highlights a practical point: fee schedules can be refined, and deleted sub-provisions may affect how certain categories of records or plans are treated. When advising clients on document procurement or responding to PUB requests, it is prudent to confirm the current fee basis and the scope of “plans or records” under the Act.
Regulation 2A (Fees for applications under section 33(1) of the Act) is the most operationally significant provision. It prescribes the fee payable for an application under section 33(1) of the Act for a clearance certificate or for the approval of the Board in respect of works for the purposes of sections 11, 14, 23 or 24 of the Act.
Regulation 2A(1) divides fees based on whether the works involve a minor project or a major project:
- Minor project: $1,450 for the works to which the application relates.
- Major project: $1,850 for the works to which the application relates.
Regulation 2A(2) adds a critical procedural requirement: the fee must accompany the first submission of the plans for the works made during the application. This is the kind of clause that can create avoidable delays. If a client submits plans without the fee, PUB may treat the application as incomplete or require resubmission. For lawyers managing timelines (for example, where clearance certificates are prerequisites for other approvals), this “accompany the first submission” requirement should be treated as a compliance milestone.
Regulation 2A(3) defines the project categories. A major project is a project other than a minor project. A minor project includes works involving:
- Works for only a single unit of a strata landed dwelling-housing or landed housing (examples include terrace house, detached house, semi-detached house, bungalow, or landed public house);
- Works for an external structure (examples include covered linkway, bus shelter, pedestrian overhead bridge, pavilion, taxi stand, or vehicle drop-off point); or
- Simple or small-scale works eligible for the Direct Submission Process through the electronic service described in section 42AA of the Building Control Act 1989.
These definitions matter because they determine the quantum of the fee and may influence how clients structure their submissions. Where a project could arguably fall within both categories, counsel should assess the factual scope of works (units affected, whether the works are external structures, and whether the project qualifies for the Direct Submission Process under the Building Control Act framework). The “minor project” definition is not merely descriptive; it is a legal classification test.
Regulation 2B (Fees for applications for administrative exemptions) introduces a separate fee regime for exemption applications. It provides that the fee payable for an application under section 73A(1) of the Act for PUB to exempt a particular person from the operation of specified requirements—in relation to any requirement for the works for the purposes of sections 11, 14, 23 or 24 of the Act—is $950 for each requirement
Regulation 2B enumerates what can be exempted. The exemption may relate to:
- Any provision of the Act (including material incorporated by reference under section 32A of the Act); and
- Any provision of any specification or code of practice mentioned in section 32 of the Act.
For practitioners, the “per requirement” structure is a key commercial and strategic feature. If an exemption application seeks relief from multiple provisions or multiple requirements, the fee may scale accordingly. This can affect how counsel drafts exemption requests—potentially encouraging a careful scoping exercise to identify precisely which requirements are truly in issue.
Regulation 3 (Remission or refund of fees) grants PUB discretion to remit or refund fees wholly or in part “as the Board thinks fit.” This provision is broad and does not prescribe objective criteria. In legal practice, it is still useful: it provides a statutory basis to request fee relief in appropriate circumstances, such as administrative error, withdrawal, or where fairness and proportionality support a refund. However, because the discretion is not tightly defined, outcomes will depend on PUB’s assessment of the facts.
How Is This Legislation Structured?
The Fees Regulations are concise and structured around four operative regulations:
- Regulation 1: Citation and commencement.
- Regulation 2: Fees for copies of plans or records.
- Regulation 2A: Fees for applications under section 33(1) of the Sewerage and Drainage Act, including definitions of “minor project” and “major project,” and a procedural requirement that the fee accompany the first submission of plans.
- Regulation 2B: Fees for applications for administrative exemptions under section 73A(1), charged at $950 per requirement sought.
- Regulation 3: Remission or refund of fees at PUB’s discretion.
Notably, the Regulations do not contain extensive procedural rules beyond the fee-payment timing requirement in Regulation 2A(2). The substantive regulatory processes are located in the Sewerage and Drainage Act itself; the Fees Regulations supply the fee mechanics that attach to those processes.
Who Does This Legislation Apply To?
The Fees Regulations apply to persons who interact with PUB under the Sewerage and Drainage Act in the specific ways covered by the Regulations. This includes applicants seeking clearance certificates or PUB approvals for works under sections 11, 14, 23 or 24 of the Act, as well as persons requesting administrative exemptions under section 73A(1).
In addition, the Regulations apply to anyone requesting copies of plans or records under section 13A of the Act. While the fee for copies is small, it is still a legal requirement. In practical terms, the Regulations are relevant to developers, building owners, contractors, consultants, and legal practitioners coordinating regulatory submissions and document requests.
Why Is This Legislation Important?
Although the Fees Regulations are short, they have real consequences for project administration. In regulated infrastructure contexts, delays can be costly. Regulation 2A(2)’s requirement that the fee accompany the first submission of plans is a clear example: failure to pay correctly at the right time can disrupt the application process and affect downstream approvals and clearances.
From a legal risk perspective, the classification between minor and major projects under Regulation 2A(3) can be a point of dispute. Counsel advising clients on project scope should treat the definitions as legal tests. Misclassification may lead to underpayment, overpayment, or the need for administrative correction—each of which can create delay and additional correspondence.
Regulation 2B’s “$950 per requirement” approach also matters. Exemption applications can be strategically important where compliance with particular provisions or codes of practice is impracticable or where alternative arrangements are sought. However, the fee structure encourages careful scoping: applicants should identify the exact requirements for which exemption is sought, and ensure the application is coherent and proportionate to the relief requested. Finally, Regulation 3 provides a statutory basis to seek remission or refund, which can be relevant in cases of procedural irregularity or where fairness supports fee relief.
Related Legislation
- Sewerage and Drainage Act (Cap. 294)
- Building Control Act 1989 (notably section 42AA relating to the Direct Submission Process)
- Drainage Act (as referenced in the provided metadata)
- Legislation Timeline (for tracking amendments such as S 111/2022, S 912/2023, and S 206/2025)
Source Documents
This article provides an overview of the Sewerage and Drainage (Fees) Regulations 2015 for legal research and educational purposes. It does not constitute legal advice. Readers should consult the official text for authoritative provisions.