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14: Restrictions relating to water
or “Rules about when you can and can't use water from different places, like the ocean, rivers, or underground”
You could also call this:

“This law explains when and how people can release harmful things into our air, water, and land.”

You are not allowed to put contaminants or water into water, or put contaminants onto land that might end up in water. You also can’t release contaminants into the air or onto land from industrial or trade places. These rules apply unless you have permission from a national environmental standard, other rules, a regional plan, or a resource consent.

You can’t release contaminants into the air or onto land from any place if it goes against a national environmental standard. But there are some exceptions: if other rules allow it, if you have a resource consent, or if it’s allowed by section 20A.

The same goes for regional rules. You can’t release contaminants into the air or onto land if it breaks a regional rule. Again, there are exceptions: if a national environmental standard or other rules allow it, if you have a resource consent, or if it’s allowed by section 20A.

These rules don’t apply to things covered by section 15A or section 15B.

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Next up: 15A: Restrictions on dumping and incineration of waste or other matter in coastal marine area

or “You can't throw away or burn stuff in the sea without special permission.”
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Part 3 Duties and restrictions under this Act
Discharges

15Discharge of contaminants into environment

  1. No person may discharge any—

  2. contaminant or water into water; or
    1. contaminant onto or into land in circumstances which may result in that contaminant (or any other contaminant emanating as a result of natural processes from that contaminant) entering water; or
      1. contaminant from any industrial or trade premises into air; or
        1. contaminant from any industrial or trade premises onto or into land—

          1. unless the discharge is expressly allowed by a national environmental standard or other regulations, a rule in a regional plan as well as a rule in a proposed regional plan for the same region (if there is one), or a resource consent.

          2. No person may discharge a contaminant into the air, or into or onto land, from a place or any other source, whether moveable or not, in a manner that contravenes a national environmental standard unless the discharge—

          3. is expressly allowed by other regulations; or
            1. is expressly allowed by a resource consent; or
              1. is an activity allowed by section 20A.

                1. No person may discharge a contaminant into the air, or into or onto land, from a place or any other source, whether moveable or not, in a manner that contravenes a regional rule unless the discharge—

                2. is expressly allowed by a national environmental standard or other regulations; or
                  1. is expressly allowed by a resource consent; or
                    1. is an activity allowed by section 20A.

                      1. This section shall not apply to anything to which section 15A or section 15B applies.

                      Notes
                      • Section 15(1): amended, on , by section 15(1) of the Resource Management (Simplifying and Streamlining) Amendment Act 2009 (2009 No 31).
                      • Section 15(2): replaced, on , by section 15(2) of the Resource Management (Simplifying and Streamlining) Amendment Act 2009 (2009 No 31).
                      • Section 15(2A): inserted, on , by section 15(2) of the Resource Management (Simplifying and Streamlining) Amendment Act 2009 (2009 No 31).
                      • Section 15(3): inserted, on , by section 5 of the Resource Management Amendment Act 1994 (1994 No 105).