Article 31 of the Saudi Water Law
المادة 31 من نظام المياه · الفصل الخامس: استخدام المياه
The article requires oil factories, car wash stations, restaurants, kitchens and similar facilities to provide grease or oil traps, and requires the owner to maintain them and monitor their operation.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
يجب أن توفر مصانع الزيوت، ومحطات غسيل السيارات، والمطاعم والمطابخ، وما في حكمها؛ مصايد الدهون أو الزيوت، وعلى المالك صيانتها ومتابعة عملها بما يحقق الغرض منها؛ بعد أخذ موافقة المرخّص له بنشاط تقديم الخدمة؛ وفقًا للاشتراطات التي تحددها الهيئة في رخصته.
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 31 explained in plain English
This article addresses the problem of fats and oils reaching sewage networks, and requires a defined group of facilities to provide grease or oil traps. The facilities named are:
- Oil factories.
- Car wash stations.
- Restaurants and kitchens.
- Anything of a similar nature, meaning any facility whose activity resembles these activities.
The obligation does not stop at installing the trap: the article requires the owner to maintain it and monitor its operation so that it actually serves its purpose.
The article ties this to two things: obtaining the approval of the licensee for the service provision activity, who according to the definitions in Article 1 is the party carrying out activities such as collecting, transporting and treating sewage, and compliance with the requirements set by the Authority in its license. The technical specifications of the traps and the details of the approval are not in the article itself but in the requirements the Authority sets in the service provider's license.
The article comes after Article 30, which prohibits discharging rainwater, groundwater, agricultural drainage water and construction-site water into the public sewage network except with the licensee's approval and in accordance with the Authority's requirements. Both articles protect the public sewage network from what could harm it.
Anyone who needs to know the position of his own facility specifically can contact the sewage service provider in his area, or consult a lawyer who specializes in water regulations and administrative cases.
Practical example
Ahmed opened a restaurant in Riyadh. Under this article he must provide a grease trap after obtaining the approval of the licensed sewage service provider and in accordance with the requirements the Authority set in its license, and he then remains responsible, as owner, for maintaining it and monitoring its operation so that grease does not reach the network.
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 31 of the Saudi Water Law
Is a restaurant required to install a grease trap?
Yes. Article 31 requires restaurants and kitchens to provide grease or oil traps, as well as oil factories, car wash stations and similar facilities.
Who is responsible for maintaining the grease trap?
The article places maintenance and monitoring of the trap's operation on the owner, so that it serves its purpose.
Who sets the specifications for a grease trap?
The article refers to the requirements the Authority sets in the license of the licensee for the service provision activity, and does not state the specifications itself.
More articles on Wastewater and Treated Water
- 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.