Article 62 of the Saudi Water Law
المادة 62 من نظام المياه · الفصل الرابع عشر: تدابير أساسية لحماية مصادر المياه
Article 62 prohibits any act likely to harm water sources or their infrastructure, as the Ministry's regulations specify.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
يُحظر القيام بأي عمل من شأنه الإضرار بمصادر المياه أو بناها الأساسية؛ وفقاً لما 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 62 explained in plain English
This article sets a general prohibition that applies to everyone: no one may carry out any act likely to harm water sources or water infrastructure.
The phrase "likely to" means that the prohibition covers an act that by its nature can cause harm, as the wording of the article is understood, but the article ties this to the phrase "as the Ministry's regulations specify"; that is, the regulations of the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture are what detail the prohibited acts and their controls, and the article does not list these acts itself.
Article 1 defines water infrastructure as facilities used to produce, harvest, transport, distribute, store or monitor water, whether publicly or privately owned; the definition does not include water desalination plants, treatment plants and purification plants.
This article comes within a group of provisions to protect water:
- Article 61 tasks the Ministry with issuing, and updating, standards for protecting water sources and the environment from pollution.
- Article 63 requires the Ministries of Energy, of Industry and Mineral Resources, and of Municipal and Rural Affairs to take what is necessary to prevent hydrocarbon and toxic materials from leaking into aquifers.
To know whether a particular act falls within the prohibition, refer to the Ministry's regulations, and a lawyer specializing in water, environmental and administrative law can be consulted if needed.
Practical example
A contractor is carrying out excavation work near a water transmission line in Riyadh. This article prohibits him from any act likely to harm that line because it is water infrastructure, and the details he must comply with are specified 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 62 of the Saudi Water Law
Does the Law prohibit harming water networks and tanks?
Yes. Article 62 prohibits any act likely to harm water sources or their infrastructure, as the Ministry's regulations specify.
What is meant by water infrastructure?
Facilities used to produce, harvest, transport, distribute, store or monitor water, public or private. It does not include desalination, treatment and purification plants.
Where can I find the details of the prohibited acts?
The article refers to the Ministry's regulations to specify this, so they are the reference for the details.
More articles on Protecting Water Sources from Pollution
- Article 14
The article requires public and private bodies to inform the Ministry of any indicator or change they detect in the water sources belonging to them, and requires the Ministry to follow it up.
على جميع الجهات العامة والخاصة موافاة الوزارة بأي مؤشر أو تغير ترصده في أي مصدر من مصادر المياه التابعة لها، وعلى الوزارة متابعة ذلك.
- Article 19
The article requires the Ministry to take the necessary measures to prevent the use of water sources that have become unsuitable for use, including stopping the issuance of the source license or cancelling it.
تتخذ الوزارة الإجراءات والتدابير اللازمة لمنع استخدام مصادر المياه التي أصبحت غير صالحة للاستخدام، بما في ذلك إيقاف إصدار رخصة استخدام المصدر، أو إلغائها.
- 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 31
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.
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؛
- Article 45
The article allows the Ministry, or whoever it licenses, to carry out injection when it is safe from the health, environmental and technical standpoints, as determined by the Ministry's regulations.
يجوز للوزارة أو من ترخص له الحقن كلما كان ذلك آمنًا من الناحية الصحية، والبيئية، والتقنية؛ وفقًا لما تحدده لوائح الوزارة.
- Article 55
Article 55 requires the licensee, except in special zones, to prepare water infrastructure plans for the Ministry's approval, and requires government and private bodies to coordinate with the Ministry to avoid threatening the infrastructure's safety.
1- فيما عدا المناطق الخاصة، يقوم المرخَّص له بإعداد مخططات للبنى الأساسية للمياه، وتعتمدها الوزارة. 2- على الجهات الحكومية والخاصة التنسيق مع الوزارة؛ لتفادي ال
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.