Ministerial Resolution No.3 of 2021 concerning Water Quality Standards.

This Resolution, comprising 15 articles and 1 Annex, applies to all project phases, from design to establishment, construction, and operation. Articles 3 and 4 mandate that all projects must meet specific water quality standards for discharged water, which are detailed in Table No. 1. Additionally, for any pollutants not covered by these defined standards, projects are required to follow guideline standards approved by the Executive Authority. Projects must ensure that discharged water is (i) free of visible, non-biodegradable solid waste; (ii) does not alter the receiving water's color; and (iii) its temperature, when mixing with the receiving body, doesn't exceed specified limits in Table 1 or impact sensitive ecosystems. The Executive Authority can grant exemptions. Article 9 mandates periodic water quality testing for discharged water. If standards are not met, project owners get a one-month grace period to fix issues; failure to comply or an environmental risk can lead to a project halt. Articles 10 and 11 detail compliance for existing projects, which must align with the Resolution within three years, with possible extensions. The Annex concerns Standards of wastewater discharged in the sea.