Article 29 of the Saudi Water Law
المادة 29 من نظام المياه · الفصل الخامس: استخدام المياه
The article requires the owner, where sewage networks are available, to connect to them or build a private sewage treatment plant, as the Authority's regulations set out.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
عند توفر شبكات الصرف الصحي، يجب على المالك التوصيل بها، أو إنشاء محطة خاصة لمعالجة مياه الصرف الصحي، وفقًا لما تحدده لوائح الهيئة.
This is the official Arabic wording, the only legally binding version. We do not translate the law itself; the explanation below is ours. Official source: Bureau of Experts at the Council of Ministers
Article 29 explained in plain English
This article places an obligation on the owner:
- When: where sewage networks are available.
- The duty: one of two things:
- connecting to the network, or
- building a private sewage treatment plant.
- The details: as the Authority's regulations specify.
This means that the availability of the network places on the owner an obligation to act; the situation does not stay as it is, and he chooses between connecting to the network or building a private plant. The text does not set in this article a time limit for connecting, the conditions of the private plant, or the cases in which one option is preferred, but refers that to the Authority's regulations.
It is preceded by Article 28, which makes issuing facility licenses and supplying them with water conditional on a suitable sewage disposal system that can be connected to the collection and treatment systems, or a licensed private treatment plant where there is no network. It is followed by Article 30, which prohibits discharging rain water, groundwater, agricultural drainage water and construction site water into the public sewage network except with the approval of the service provision licensee.
To assess the effect of this rule on a particular case, it is advisable to consult a lawyer who specializes in water and environmental laws.
Practical example
The sewage network reached a neighborhood in Medina where Khalid lives, and his house had relied on a septic tank. He must now connect his house to the network or build a private plant to treat sewage, as the Authority's regulations specify.
Translated from our Arabic explanation with machine assistance. For guidance only; it does not replace advice from a lawyer on your situation.
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Frequently asked questions about Article 29 of the Saudi Water Law
Must a house be connected to the sewage network when it is available?
Where the network is available, the owner must connect to it or build a private sewage treatment plant, in accordance with the Authority's regulations.
Can a private treatment plant be built instead of connecting to the network?
Yes. The text makes building a private plant an alternative to connecting, as the Authority's regulations specify.
What is the deadline for connecting to the network?
The article sets no deadline and refers the details to the Authority's regulations.
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- Article 21
The article prohibits using wastewater outright, restricts the use and discharge of treated wastewater to the approved standards, and requires a service provision license to transport, collect and dispose of wastewater.
1- يُحظر استخدام مياه الصرف في جميع الأحوال والأغراض. 2- يُحظر استخدام مياه الصرف المعالجة لأي غرض، أو نشاط، أو تصريفها؛ إلا وفقًا للمعايير المعتمدة، وأولويات ا
- Article 22
The article gives the Ministry's inspector the right to enter farms that use treated water to monitor and take samples, to verify that the water, products and crops are free of pollutants, and addresses the case where he is prevented or obstructed.
1- لمفتش الوزارة حق دخول المزارع التي تستخدم المياه المعالجة؛ لغرض المراقبة والتفتيش، والتحقق من التقيد بشروط الرخصة، وذلك بالتنسيق مع الجهات الحكومية المعنية،
- Article 23
The article permits using tertiary-treated water after confirming it is safe and free of pollutants, except for drinking, household uses and food industries, under the Ministry's regulations.
ما عدا الشرب والاستخدامات المنزلية والصناعات الغذائية، يُسمح باستخدام المياه المعالجة ثلاثيًا بعد التأكد من سلامتها، وخلوها من الملوثات، ومواءمتها، وفق الضوابط
- Article 24
The article requires an agricultural irrigation system to include an integrated drainage system that collects excess irrigation water and disposes of it safely, to protect water sources from pollution.
يجب أن تشتمل منظومة الري الزراعي على نظام صرف متكامل لتجميع مياه الري الزائدة، والتخلص منها بطريقة آمنة؛ للمحافظة على مصادر المياه من التلوث، وفقًا لما تحدده لو
- Article 25
The article permits using secondary-treated water in restricted agricultural irrigation, industry, mining, construction work and the like, after confirming it is safe and under the Ministry's regulations.
يسمح باستخدام المياه المعالجة ثنائيًا في الري الزراعي المقيد، والصناعة، والتعدين، والأعمال الإنشائية، ونحوها من الأنشطة والأعمال؛ بعد التأكد من سلامتها، وخلوِّه
- Article 26
The article requires all government and private bodies to coordinate with the service provision licensee before connecting sewage to the networks or collecting it by tanker and discharging it at the treatment plant.
على جميع الجهات الحكومية والخاصة التنسيق مع المرخّص له بنشاط تقديم الخدمة قبل ربط مياه الصرف الصحي بشبكات الصرف، أو تجميع مياه الصرف الصحي بوساطة الصهاريج، وتفر
The texts are reproduced from the official website of the Bureau of Experts at the Council of Ministers for reference; where they differ, the officially published Arabic text prevails. This content is not legal advice.