Article 38 of the Saudi Water Law
المادة 38 من نظام المياه · الفصل الثامن: ترشيد الاستخدام
The article requires government and private sectors to use water-saving sanitary ware and plumbing materials that meet the specifications, and to make use of gray water and recycle it under the Ministry's regulations.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
يجب على جميع القطاعات الحكومية والخاصة استخدامُ الأدوات الصحية ومواد السباكة المرشِّدة والمطابقة للوائح الفنية والمواصفات القياسية المعتمدة، والاستفادة من المياه الرمادية، وإعادة تدويرها، وذلك وفق ما تحدده لوائح الوزارة.
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 38 explained in plain English
This article sets practical obligations for conserving water inside facilities, addressed to all government and private sectors. They consist of two things:
- Using water-saving sanitary ware and plumbing materials, provided that they conform to the approved technical regulations and standard specifications. It is not enough for an item to be described as water-saving; it must conform to the approved specifications.
- Making use of gray water and recycling it.
The article provides that this is done as determined by the Ministry's regulations; they set out the details of application, such as the types of facilities or buildings in which gray water recycling is required and how. One should therefore not assume details that do not appear in the text of the article.
The article applies the general principle in Article 37, which requires licensees, consumers and beneficiaries to use rationing tools and equipment, and it connects with Article 41, which requires water users to use water-saving tools and devices that conform to the approved Saudi standard specifications.
In practice, a person building or renovating a facility is well advised to take these requirements into account at the design and materials-purchasing stage and to check the Ministry's regulations. In a dispute or a question about compliance, it is possible to consult a lawyer who specializes in water regulations and administrative cases.
Practical example
A company in Dammam is building a new administrative headquarters. Under this article it must choose water-saving sanitary ware and plumbing materials that conform to the approved standard specifications, and must take into account making use of gray water and recycling it as determined by the Ministry's regulations.
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 38 of the Saudi Water Law
Must buildings use water-saving sanitary fixtures?
Yes. Article 38 requires all government and private sectors to use water-saving sanitary ware and plumbing materials that conform to the approved technical regulations and standard specifications.
Is recycling gray water required?
The article provides for making use of gray water and recycling it, as determined by the Ministry's regulations.
Who is subject to this obligation?
All government and private sectors, according to the text of the article.
More articles on Water Conservation
- Article 10
The article gives the Ministry the right to impose meters on wells in non-renewable aquifers to monitor consumption under the water allowances, and lets the Ministerial Committee consider imposing a fee when the allowance is exceeded.
للوزارة الحق في فرض تركيب عدادات؛ لقياس تدفق المياه من الآبار الواقعة في الطبقات الحاملة للمياه غير المتجددة؛ لمراقبة وتنظيم كمية استهلاك وترشيد استخدامها؛ وفقً
- Article 37
The article assigns the regulation and management of water-use rationing to the Ministry or its delegate, and requires licensees, consumers and beneficiaries to comply with rationing and use its tools and equipment.
تتولى الوزارة أو من تفوضه تنظيم عملية ترشيد استخدام المياه، وإدارتها. وعلى جميع المرخّص لهم والمستهلكين والمستفيدين الالتزام بعمليات الترشيد، واستخدام أدوات ترش
- Article 39
The article requires government bodies and service provision licensees to adopt the principle of water rationalization as a theme of their awareness, education and marketing programs, as the Ministry's regulations set out.
تقوم الجهات الحكومية والمرخص لهم بتقديم الخدمة باعتماد مبدأ "ترشيد استخدام المياه" من ضمن محاور برامجهم التوعوية، والتثقيفية، والتسويقية، وذلك وفق ما تبينه لوائ
- Article 40
The article requires water-saving irrigation systems when irrigating in urban or agricultural activities, as determined by the Ministry's regulations.
عند استخدام المياه لأغراض الري في الأنشطة الحضرية أو الزراعية، يجب استخدام أنظمة مرشدة لاستهلاك المياه، وفقًا لما تحدده لوائح الوزارة.
- Article 41
The article sets four obligations on water users: rationing and not wasting, keeping to licensed uses and quantities and allowing measurement, preserving sources, and paying what is imposed.
على مستخدمي المياه الالتزام بالآتي: 1- ترشيد استخدام المياه، وعدم هدرها، وعدم الإسراف في استخدامها، واستخدام الأدوات والأجهزة والأنظمة المُرَشِّدة والمطابقة للم
- Article 42
The article requires the Ministry and the Authority, each within its jurisdiction, to subject all water uses to measurement and monitoring and to verify its effectiveness, directly or through licensees.
على الوزارة والهيئة -كلٌ فيما يخصه- إخضاع جميع استخدامات المياه للقياس والمراقبة وفق أحكام النظام، والتأكد من تنفيذ ذلك بفاعلية إما مباشرة، أو عن طريق المرخَّص
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.