Mr Belton told the Committee that a point of conjecture was at what point the guidelines should be applied. It was in dispute whether they should be applied at the point the water was discharged from a property or the point at which it was discharged from a drain. Mr Belton stated that the EPA does not differentiate between man-made and natural drains; but that they are all defined as watercourses. He told the Committee that at a meeting with representatives from the Water and Rivers Commission (WRC) in January 2000 he explained his concern about the differentiation between a man-made or altered watercourse and a natural watercourse. Mr Belton told the Committee that at the meeting he requested a copy of the definitions used and the policy covering determination of relevant water quality guidelines. He advised that Dr Judy Edwards received a letter from Hon Dr Kim Hames MLA, Minister for Water Resources confirming that all drains are waterways and that there is no differentiation between man-made and natural or modified drains. Mr Belton also told the Committee that the Min