Law of Georgia on Water Resources Management (No. 3423-XIMS-XMP of 2023)

The goal of this Law is provision of the legal basis for the management of water resources, which ensures implementation of the entire state policy in the fields of protection and use of water resources, the right of citizens to have access to clean water, development of safe environment for human life and health and protection and sustainable use of water resources in accordance with integrated management principles.
The objective of the Law is development of sustainable integrated system for water management, which shall: (a) protects the ecosystem status of water, including its quality, and excludes further deterioration of water quality; (b) Protects and improves the condition of water resources and the state of terrestrial ecosystems and wetlands dependent directly on water ecosystems, due to the need for water; (c) supports the risk assessment of flooding and a creation of the management system; (d) creates the legal basis for the sustainable use of water resources taking into account the interests of current and future generation and principles of sustainable development; (e) support the reduction of climate-related risks in the water resources management field; (f) ensures the protection of water resources and the environment and the implementation of their condition through the gradual reduction and avoidance of water losses and getting and/or discharging statutorily determined priority water pollutants into the water; (g) creates the legal basis for the determination of contaminated groundwater areas and areas at risk of pollution, as well as gradual reduction and protection from further pollution; and (h) protects the legal rights and interests of individual and legal entities in the field of protection and use of water resources.
This Law establishes the basic principles for protection and use of water resources, as well as regulates legal relations: (a) between state authorities and individual / legal entities - in the field of protection and use of water resources; and (b) competences of autonomous republics and self-governing entities – related to the field of water resources management. The scope of this law regulates surface and ground waters and their protection zones. Issues related to the use of groundwaters are regulated by the Law of Georgia on Subsoil. This law does not regulate the matters related to the maritime space of Georgia, except for the cases defined by this Law for coastal waters. The legal regime of the maritime space of Georgia is defined by the Law of Georgia on “The Maritime Space of Georgia”. Uniform regime of regulation of rivers, lakes and coastal waters that go beyond Georgia's borders (international water resources) is determined by international treaties and agreements of Georgia. This law is applicable to the part of international river basins, lakes and coastal waters existing on the territory of Georgia, unless otherwise provided by an international treaty or agreement.
The basic principles of integrated water management are (a) complex protection and sustainable use of water resources at national, regional and local levels, on the basis of cooperation with water users; and (b) regulation of water resources through river basin management mechanism at the level of river watersheds/basins. During planning and implementation of activities that have an impact on water resources, physical and legal persons, government bodies and other public institutions are obliged to follow this Law and the basic principles for environmental protection established by the Law of Georgia on Environmental Protection.
The Law consists of 42 articles: Purpose and objective of the Law (1); Object of regulation of the Law (2); Scope of regulation of the Law (3); Definitions (4); Main principles of integrated management of water resources (5); Competent agencies in the field of management and use of water resources (6); State fund of water resources of Georgia (7); Right of ownership of water resources (8); Identification, zoning and delimitation of water objects (9); Land of a water object (10); Water protection zone (11); Object and types of water use (12); General requirements of water use (13); Satisfaction of the population with drinking and domestic water (14); General water use (15); Special water use on surface water object (16); Rules and conditions of issuing a permit for special water use (17); Bases for denying a permit for special water use (18); Appeal against the denial to issue a permit for special water use (19); Term of validity of a special water use permit (20); Water resource management system (21); Determination of the river basins and basin districts (22); water resource planning and management mechanism (23); Developing a river basin/basin district management plan (24); Public participation in the process of developing of a river basin/basin district management plan (25); Classification of water objects (26); Quality target indicators of surface waters and groundwater (27); Programs for the maintenance and improvement of water quality (28); Basic requirements for the protection and restoration of water resources (29); Requirements for urban wastewater treatment (30); Competent authorities for state supervision and control of water use and protection (31); State monitoring system of water resources (32); State accounting system for water use (33); Management of flood risks (34); Economic mechanisms for sustainable use and protection of water (35); Liability for the violation of the Law (36); Subordinate legislation to be issued under this Law (37); Transitional provision related to special water use for persons holding the environmental protection decision (38); Transitional provisions for persons technical terms agreed upon with the water abstraction from surface water and the person discharging water into surface water (39); Transition provisions for issuing a permit for subjects servicing an amelioration drying system and centralized sewerage systems discharging water into surface water (40); Invalidated legislative act (41); and Entry into force of the Law (42).