Article 72 of the Saudi Water Law
المادة 72 من نظام المياه · الفصل السادس عشر: لجنة النظر في المخالفات
The article makes whoever commits a violation of the Water Law liable for all damage to the licensee's facility or to third parties, including repair costs and compensation for the benefit lost.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
1- يكون مرتكب المخالفة مسؤولاً عن جميع الأضرار التي لحقت بمرفق المرخَّص له، أو الغير، بما في ذلك تكاليف إصلاح التلف الذي تسبب في حدوثه، والتعويض عن المنفعة التي فقدها المرفق أو الغير.
2- يُصدر الوزير أو مجلس الإدارة -كلٌ فيما يخصه- الضوابط الخاصة بتحديد تكاليف الإصلاح، وتقدير التعويضات عن المنفعة التي فقدها المرفق.
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 72 explained in plain English
This article deals with financial liability for harm, which is a matter separate from penalty.
Paragraph 1: The person who commits the violation is liable for all damage to the licensee's facility, or to third parties, including:
- The cost of repairing the damage they caused.
- Compensation for the benefit that the facility or the third party lost.
The article is not limited to repairing what was damaged; it also includes compensating for the benefit lost.
Paragraph 2: The Minister or the Board of Directors, each within their remit, issue the controls for determining the repair costs and assessing compensation for the benefit lost by the facility. The method of calculation is therefore not in the article itself but in these controls.
This article is linked to Article 71, which allows the Ministry or the Authority, in urgent cases, to require the violator to remove the violation and put the situation right, and to do so at their expense if they are late. Anyone harmed by a violation, or asked to pay compensation for one, would do well to consult a lawyer specializing in civil cases and compensation or in water regulation.
Practical example
During unlawful excavation work in Dammam, a contractor broke a water distribution line belonging to a licensed company, and water was cut off from the neighborhood for two days. According to this article, the contractor bears the cost of repairing the line and compensates for the benefit the facility lost, under the controls issued by the Minister or the Board of Directors.
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 72 of the Saudi Water Law
Who pays to repair a water network damaged by a violator?
The person who commits the violation is liable for all damage, including the cost of repairing the damage they caused.
Does compensation include lost benefit?
Yes. The liability includes compensating for the benefit lost by the facility or the third party, not just the repair costs.
How are repair costs and compensation calculated?
The Minister or the Board of Directors, each within their remit, issue the controls for determining repair costs and assessing compensation.
More articles on Committees for Water Violations
- Article 70
Article 70 creates two committees to hear violations of the Water Law, one for the Ministry and one for the Authority, sets their composition and approval of their decisions, and allows objection before the Administrative Court within 60 days.
1- يتولى النظر والفصل في مخالفات أحكام النظام المتعلقة باختصاص الوزارة ولوائحها، وإيقاع العقوبات المنصوص عليها في النظام، وتقدير التعويضات، لجنة -أو أكثر- تكون
- Article 71
The article allows the Ministry and the Authority, in urgent cases, to order a violator to stop and remove the violation, suspend their activity or manage the source for up to six months, and requires the committee to decide within 20 working days.
1- كل من يخالف أي حكم من أحكام النظام، أو لوائح الوزارة، أو لوائح الهيئة، أو شروط الرخصة، أو الإعفاء، أو شرع في ذلك، فإنه يحق للوزارة أو للهيئة -كل فيما يخصه- ف
- Article 75
The article repeals three earlier laws and their regulations: the Law of Water and Sewerage Authorities, the Law on Conservation of Water Resources, and the Law on Treated Sewage Water and Its Reuse.
يُلغي النظام الآتي: 1- نظام مصالح المياه والصرف الصحي، الصادر بالمرسوم الملكي ذي الرقم (م / 22) والتاريخ 23 / 6 / 1391هـ، ولوائحه. 2- نظام المحافظة على مصادر ال
- Article 77
The article provides that the Water Law comes into force 90 days after its publication in the Official Gazette.
يُعمل بالنظام بعد (تسعين) يومًا من تاريخ نشره في الجريدة الرسمية.
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.