Law No. 8093 on water resources.

The purpose of this Law is to ensure the protection and development of water resources, to provide for the proper distribution of water resources, to prevent water pollution and to define the institutional framework at national and water basin level for purposes of the implementation of a national water policy (art. 10). For the purposes of this Act, "water resources" shall encompass inland waters, maritime waters, surface and underground waters, hydrogeological formations as well as precipitation. The 74 articles of this Law are divided into 16 chapters: General (I); Administration of water resources (II); The national water strategy and planning of water resources (III); The right to water usage (IV); Permits, authorizations and concessions for water use (V); The control and preservation of water resources quality (VI); Discharges and sewerage networks (VII); Permissions, authorizations and concessions for discharges (VIII); The harmful effects of water (IX); Protected areas and surfaces (X); Protection of banks (XI); Waterworks and objects (XII); Water users and discharges' associations (XIII); Servitudes (XIV); Financial provisions (XV); Violations and sanctions (XVI). Article 5 provides for the establishment of water administration agencies. A National Water Council, to be headed by the Prime Minister, is also established.