Please choose one or more questions in the list below and click Submit

1. Legislation

	1.1	List national or federal and state/provincial legislation concerning water resources, which has been reviewed for the purposes of the database
	1.2	Is water mentioned in the Constitution or in the Bill of Rights?

back to top of page

2. Ownership of water

2.1

Who owns water, or holds it in some other property or quasi-property status (e.g., in trust for the public)?

back to top of page

3. Abstraction and use

	3.1	Does the legislation provide for and regulate the right to abstract water from a stream, lake or from under the ground? Has the general public a right to use water for drinking, washing and bathing, for the watering of cattle, and for recreational purposes?
	3.2	Are such rights linked to ownership of land?
	3.3	Are any uses exempted from licensing requirements?
	3.4	What are the criteria used for considering applications and granting licenses?
	3.5	Does the legislation provide for the recording of water abstraction licenses?
	3.6	Are water abstraction licenses subject to terms and conditions? In particular, are they subject to a term of duration?
	3.7	Can water abstraction licenses be lost/suspended/varied during their lifespan? Under what circumstances? Is compensation payable?
	3.8	Can water abstraction licenses be transferred? Is transferability subject to restrictions?
	3.9	What provisions exist in the legislation for the protection of 'vested' rights, i.e., and abstractions in existence at the time the legislation in force at the present time took effect?
	3.10	Has the Government authority to respond to certain circumstances or to a particular state of affairs, e.g., drought or risk of depletion of a water body?
	3.11	Does the legislation provide for the monitoring and enforcement of water abstraction licenses?
	3.12	Are charges payable against the abstraction of water from streams, lakes, underground aquifers and other water bodies?

back to top of page

4. Pollution control

	4.1	Is permission required to discharge effluents?
	4.2	Are there exceptions to permission requirements?
	4.3	What are the criteria used for considering applications and granting permits?
	4.4	Does the legislation provide for the recording of waste discharge permits?
	4.5	Are waste discharge permits subject to terms and conditions? In particular, are they subject to a term of duration?
	4.6	Are waste discharge permits subject to standards of effluent quality and/or standards and objectives of ambient water quality? How are such standards set and reviewed, and by whom?
	4.7	Can waste discharge permits be lost/suspended/varied during their lifespan? Under what circumstances? Is compensation payable?
	4.8	Can waste discharge permits be transferred? Is transferability subject to restrictions?
	4.9	Are there provisions in the legislation for the protection of waste disposal activities in progress at the time the legislation in force at the present time took effect?
	4.10	Has the Government authority to declare areas or activities in respect of which restrictions will apply in response to certain circumstances or to a particular state of affairs, e.g., risk of contamination of a water body or of a source of drinking water supplies?
	4.11	Does the legislation provide for the monitoring and enforcement of waste disposal permits?
	4.12	Are charges payable against the disposal of waste into streams, lakes, underground aquifers and other water bodies?
	4.13	Are there provisions in the legislation for the control of pollution of water resources from 'diffuse' sources - e.g., from the drainage and runoff of cultivated land where nitrates are used?

back to top of page

5. Groundwater

5.1

Does the legislation regulate groundwater exploration and extraction?

back to top of page

6. Administration

	6.1	What responsibilities does the Government have at the central/national/federal level?
	6.2	In federal countries, what responsibilities do the member States/Provinces have?
	6.3	Does there exist a special-purpose government administration at river basin level? If so, what responsibilities does it have and how is it structured?
	6.4	Do local governments have any responsibility in water resources management/development?
	6.5	Is the establishment of associations or other groupings of water users provided for and regulated?

back to top of page