Drainage and Flood Control Law, 5718-1957.

The Drainage and Flood Control Law of 1957 regulates operations aimed at concentrating, storing, conveying or removing surface or other water harmful or likely to be harmful to agriculture, public health, the development of the country or the maintenance of regular services in the State, the drying of marshes and protection from and prevention of flooding, but does not regulate the treatment of sewage water. The Law contains 63 articles, divided into 5 Chapters: Preliminary (1), Control of Arteries (2), Drainage Districts and Drainage Authorities (3), Establishement of Drainage Projects (4) and General Provisions (5).
It creates the National Board for Drainage Affairs, inter alia, to advise the Minister of Agriculture on the declaration of drainage districts and the approval of drainage schemes. The diversion of water, cultivation, building and pasture in the vicinity of arteries require a permit. The Minister of Agriculture may declare areas to be drainage districts, and establish drainage authorities for those districts with the function to attend to the proper drainage of the area and to initiate projects for that purpose. Projects are to be established under a scheme prepared and approved under the conditions of this Law.