This Act is formulated to control water pollution and ensure the cleanliness of water resources in order to maintain ecological systems, enhance the living environment and advance public health. The regulations of other laws shall apply to those matters not regulated by this Act.

Terminologies used in this Act are defined as follows.
I.“Water” means surface water or groundwater as it exists in any form.
II.“Surface water body” means water, in part or in whole, existing in rivers, the sea, lakes, reservoirs, ponds, irrigation canals, all classes of water drainage channels and other systems.
III.“Groundwater body” means the water existing in underground water-bearing strata.
IV.“Pollutant” means a substance, biological organism or form of energy capable of causing water pollution.
V.“Water pollution” means the introduction into water of substances, biological organisms or forms of energy that alters water quality, impacts the normal use of the water or endangers public health and the living environment.
VI. Living environment” means property, animals, plants and their reproductive environments that are closely connected with human life.
VII.“Enterprise” means companies, factories, mines and quarries, substitute wastewater treatment enterprises, livestock enterprises and other enterprises designated by the central competent authority.
VIII.“Wastewater” means water containing pollutants produced by an enterprise through manufacturing, operating, the process of developing natural resources or the working environment.
IX.“Sewage” means water containing pollutants produced by a source other than an enterprise.
X.“Wastewater and sewage treatment facility” means a facility using physical, chemical or biological methods to treat wastewater or sewage so that it meets the control standards of this Act.
XI.“Water pollution control measure” means the installation of wastewater and sewage treatment facilities, connection to a sewage system, soil treatment, commissioning of treatment to a substitute wastewater treatment enterprise, installation of marine discharge pipelines, marine dumping and other methods of controlling water pollution permitted by the central competent authority.
XII.“Sewage system” means all types of facilities used for the collection, pumping, conveyance, treatment and final treatment of the wastewater and sewage of public sewers and special-purpose sewers.
XIII.“Discharge point” means a fixed discharge facility installed in accordance with the law through which wastewater or sewage enters a receiving water body.
XV.“Effluent” means wastewater or sewage prior to entering a receiving XIV. water body. “Carrying capacity” means the quantity of pollutants a water body can assimilate without jeopardizing its normal uses.
XVI.“Water zone” means all or some of the water bodies within an area delineated by the competent authority.
XVII.“Water quality standard” means a quantitative value designated by the competent authority for the quality of a water body based on its optimal use.
XVIII.“Effluent standard” means a regulatory limit for the quality or composition of effluent.

The competent authority referred to in this Act means the Environmental Protection Administration, Executive Yuan, at the central government level, the municipal government in special municipalities and the county or city government in counties or cities.

Central government, special municipality and county and city competent authorities may designate or commission dedicated organizations to perform tasks related to water pollution research, training and control.