(1) The following persons must, before starting to operate as the supplier of a water service, apply for registration as a service provider--
(a) a local government that owns infrastructure for supplying water or sewerage services;
(b) a water authority that owns infrastructure for supplying water or sewerage services;
(c) each person who is--
(i) the owner of 1 or more elements of infrastructure for supplying water or sewerage services for which a charge is intended to be made; or
(ii) if a person is nominated in a regulation as a related entity of a person mentioned in subparagraph (i)--the person nominated.
(2) However, subsection (1) does not apply to a person who owns infrastructure that produces and supplies recycled water unless the person also owns other infrastructure for supplying a water or sewerage service.